Kangwoo gently set down his wine glass and looked at Heewoon. Heewoon had a slightly disappointed expression.
“If I say no, will you not go?”
Heewoon nodded as if that was obvious, and Kangwoo smiled softly.
“Then, you can go.”
“I can go?”
“Yes.”
Kangwoo replied clearly, as if he didn’t try to disallow it earlier. Heewoon looked at Kangwoo unbelievably for a moment. Indeed, understanding Seo Kangwoo was an impossible task.
“So, how’s it going with the academy?”
“It’s okay, more or less.”
“Is that all?”
Kangwoo’s tone sounded dissatisfied, which took Heewoon by surprise. Sometimes, it seemed like Seo Kangwoo was curious about Heewoon’s daily life. Well, if Kangwoo wanted to know, he could always ask the person watching Heewoon.
“…What do you want to know?”
“Everything that I don’t see.”
“Uh… From 9 am to 11:30 am, there’s morning class. From 1 pm to 3 pm, there’s afternoon class. After that, we have group study sessions and self-study. The curriculum is well-structured, so I think I can reach my target score by the end of this month.”
Kangwoo’s forehead furrowed.
“Sunbae. Are you promoting that academy right now?”
“Ah, no…”
“Not about the academy, talk about yourself, Sunbae.”
This was difficult. Seo Kangwoo’s tone mixed with a bit of irritation made it even harder to think. Heewoon fiddled with his wine glass for a moment and then spoke.
“In the morning… I buy coffee almost every day at the café next to the academy. But drinking coffee still keeps me sleepy in the morning, so it’s a bit tough. And…”
Heewoon glanced at Kangwoo’s mood. Kangwoo’s expression had become slightly softened, and he gently asked, Then?
“It’s a bit chaotic because there are a lot of people who are often late.”
“It must be hard to concentrate.”
“Yeah. Oh, and it’s nice that there are many restaurants near the academy.”
“What did you have for lunch today?”
Rice noodles, Heewoon replied. As the conversation continued, Kangwoo’s expression softened even more.
“I had lunch with Jihwan.”
“…Jihwan?”
“He’s a fellow classmate.”
Jihwan… Kangwoo quietly pronounced the name. As Kangwoo moved his fingers slightly on the table, he looked at Heewoon and asked.
“Sunbae, do you call this ‘Jihwan’ like you call my name?”
“Just like I call you?”
“Like, Kangwoo…,”
Kangwoo’s voice trailed off, and their gazes met.
“The voice which makes me feel like wanting to grant all your words, do you call him like that?”
He said it in a flat tone. Heewoon stared blankly at Kangwoo. While Heewoon’s pupils trembled slightly, Kangwoo’s pupils remained steady. His eyes were just fully looking at Heewoon.
On his expressionless face, his beautifully-shaped lips moved.
“This is dangerous. I might become a pushover at this rate.”
It sounded like a joke, but Kangwoo didn’t smile at all. He refilled his empty glass with wine and gently held the wine bottle towards Heewoon. Heewoon shook his head. He needed to go home to do his homework.
Kangwoo, who was swaying his wine glass back and forth, suddenly asked.
“Have you gotten in contact with your brother?”
Heewoon’s eyes widened at the unexpected topic of his hyung. No. Heewoon answered and Kangwoo nodded. Kangwoo looked at Heewoon’s puzzled face and said.
“If you ever need to ask me a favor, tell me in a pretty way.”
It makes me want to fulfill your every wish.
While looking at Kangwoo’s curved eyes, Heewoon nodded almost instinctively.
***
Several days had passed. Heewoon was on his way home after having dinner with Jihwan when his phone rang. It was an unknown number, but Heewoon knew who it was.
“…Hello?”
His heart pounded.
– Hey, Woo Heewoon. How are you doing?
“Good. Um, and you, Hyung-nim?”
– Of course I’m doing well.
After sending a certain amount of money on schedule, not long after, this person started to call himself Hyung-nim, acting close with him. He had said he saw Heewoon as his little brother, so he had been going easy on him and told his bosses about Heewoon’s situation too. He repeated this several times.
It was as if this guy was brainwashing him.
“I-I already sent money this month…”
– It’s upsetting if you only talk about money! Am I only that much to you?
His chuckling laughter sent a shiver down Heewoon’s spine. He acted like this and yet came looking for Heewoon if he was just a little late with the money.
– But recently, you’ve quit all your part-time jobs. How are you getting money?
His heart sank.
How did this person know that Heewoon had quit all his part-time jobs? In the beginning, someone was sent to watch him, but after Heewoon regularly sent money, they seemed to stop watching him closely. He was having a school break, yet they said he was doing well at both going to school and earning money, that’s when Heewoon realized he wasn’t being watched anymore.
But now, why were they watching him again?
– You’re just spending money everywhere. By any chance, did your brother send you money?
The forced, gentle tone sounded like a disguise to hide something.
“No, no. I, uh, I got a bonus from my part-time job… I’m planning to find a new job soon.”
– I see. You should work hard, repay your debts quickly, and be a good son.
“Yes.”
This person encouraged Heewoon once every few months, and maybe that’s what today’s call is about.
– When your brother comes back, let’s see each other.
“Yes.”
Heewoon was about to hang up, but the hoarse voice asked.
– You’re all healthy, right?
Heewoon replied awkwardly that everything was fine.
After hanging up, Heewoon stared at the call log. The 11-digit unsaved number was easy to remember even without trying.
‘Eat well and… do some exercise or something.’
The man said this at the end. It struck him as oddly unsettling. Even though those were just ordinary words of encouragement.
Heewoon suddenly looked around. Things he hadn’t noticed before were now visible. For example, a black car parked behind him, a somewhat sketchy-looking man sitting in front of the convenience store, and a large figure loitering inside an alley.
Some of them might be mere figments of his imagination. Maybe all of them were. But Heewoon went home while staying cautious.
Was it possible that among them, there were people planted by Seo Kangwoo too? The gaze he felt just now might not be from loan sharks but from Seo Kangwoo’s people. Thinking this way gave him a little relief.
“…”
The reason for this was that Seo Kangwoo, at the very least, wouldn’t steal his money or harm his mother.
When Heewoon got home, he asked his mother, trying to sound as casual as possible.
“Mom, have you been in contact with Hyung lately?”
“No. I’m worried because I can’t reach him. I wonder if something has happened…”
His mother mumbled, sounding concerned.
Heewoon suddenly remembered something Kangwoo had said before.
‘But don’t suspect me if your brother dies sometime soon. He seems to be getting involved here and there for his business. If he dies, it’s probably because he’s got a few grudges to settle.’
If something happened to his brother…
…What would happen to the money?
The loan shark asked when his brother was coming back earlier, it seemed like he was waiting for the money his brother would bring. Well, it shouldn’t be a problem since the money won’t just evaporate. It might take some time, but he should be able to recover it.
Heewoon realized too late that the thoughts he had were very selfish, seeing his mother’s tired face. His face became a deep red.
That person is still his brother.
Even if his brother took the money and ran off overseas when loan sharks came demanding it, even if he secretly asked his mother for more money a few months later, he’s still his brother. He’s family.
Heewoon bit his lip tightly. It was much harder not to resent his brother than not to resent his mother.
“Heewoon, when your brother comes back, things will be easier for you.”
“…”
“They say Heehyun is doing really well with his business.”
Did he earn the grudges of some Filipinos because his business did well? If that’s the case, it would be good if he can come back safely to Korea. No, even if that’s not the case, his brother must return safely. His brother took such good care of him when he was very young.
“He should come back soon…”
His mother muttered as she stared into space, a few hairs falling down her cheek. Her exhausted face was filled with worry and anxiety. Although she had never been overseas before, the Philippines was such a foreign place to his mother that she found it quite intimidating. She felt sorry for his brother for being alone there.
Even though his brother left them and ran away.
Heewoon clenched his fist. Upon thinking again, it felt reasonable to resent his brother a bit. After all, to be worrying for his brother, his mother was already doing it for too much.
***
From the next day on, Heewoon became increasingly paranoid about his surroundings. It was then that he realized that a black van was always around him. It was clear that they were tailing him. But it was a bit confusing whether these were loan sharks or people Seo Kangwoo had assigned.
Heewoon finally met Seo Kangwoo a few days later. Kangwoo had acted rough, as if he had been suppressing his sexual desire. As soon as he arrived at his place, Heewoon’s pants were taken off and they had sex on the sofa, before they even got to go up to the second floor.
After exploring Heewoon’s body for a long time, Kangwoo’s desire eventually subsided. Kangwoo hugged Heewoon gently and they went up to the second floor together, took a shower, and dressed him in a robe. While Kangwoo playfully pinched Heewoon’s nipple that peeked out a bit inside the big robe, they didn’t have sex again.
“About that, Kangwoo.”
Yes. Kangwoo answered gently, touching Heewoon’s hair behind his nape. Heewoon asked cautiously.
“Does the person that you sent watch me all day?”
“…”
The hand that was scratching the back of his neck stopped. Kangwoo, who was leaning against the sofa, slowly straightened up.
“Why do you want to know that?”
He looked closely at Heewoon’s face, as if he wanted to find the meaning behind that question. Then he asked bluntly.
“Are you trying to cheat on me?”
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