KIDNAP 57

Go Woon stared blankly at Beom Taehyuk’s seemingly indifferent face. He was talking about how he had disliked it, so why did it feel like the exact opposite of what he was saying?

His words telling him not to come at night suddenly came to mind. The moment he first kissed him followed.

That day, Beom Taehyuk had looked into Go Woon’s eyes for a very long time and said, ‘I think I want to do something different with you.’ And then he kissed him.

What was that “something different”?

“We don’t necessarily have to do that.”

“Yes.”

Even without understanding what he was trying to say, Go Woon answered unconditionally. Then Beom Taehyuk lightly chuckled, tilted his head, and gazed intently at Go Woon’s face. After giving him a slow and calm look, he suddenly spoke as if something had welled up within him.

“I just want to cherish you.”

“…Me?”

“Yes. A lot.”

“…But you’re a kidnapper?”

“I know.”

Beom Taehyuk chuckled, seeing Go Woon blinking in embarrassment. He himself had been flustered, so how much more so for Go Woon listening to him?

“Woon, I want to be in a relationship with you.”

Beom Taehyuk said gently. Fearing another misunderstanding, he conveyed his feelings in an even clearer sentence.

“Let’s date.”

“…Date? Me… with you?”

“Yes. You and me.”

“……”

Go Woon stared intently at Beom Taehyuk. His pupils trembled slightly, and his lips twitched, moving, before he finally opened his mouth after a long pause.

“Taehyuk, fo…”

Beom Taehyuk quietly watched the slightly parted lips. Only one word came to mind that started with “fo.” Thump. His heart sank and then began to beat rapidly.

But what actually flowed from his lips was a completely unexpected question.

“What’s four multiplied by four?”

“Sixteen.”

Beom Taehyuk raised an eyebrow and answered meekly. He still hadn’t given up the hope that this might be a new way of confessing.

“Then what’s sixteen multiplied by sixteen?”

“…What was it?”

While he was calculating it mentally, there was a sound of a sharp intake of breath, gasp. Go Woon covered his mouth and muttered with a shocked expression.

“As expected. There’s a problem with your head.”

His eyes were red-rimmed, showing genuine concern for him.

This jerk. Beom Taehyuk glowered and said, his temper flaring.

“Who knows sixteen multiplied by sixteen?”

“Two hundred fifty-six.”

“…Damn it, then what’s twenty-three multiplied by twenty-three? You don’t know that, do you—”

“Five hundred twenty-nine.”

The answer came immediately. Beom Taehyuk paused and then said, “…Is that right?” Seeing Go Woon nod, Beom Taehyuk furrowed his brow. Damn it, he couldn’t even tell if it was the correct answer.

This jerk is good at math too. So smart….

“Taehyuk, don’t be too shocked, but listen. I think you’re in a state where your mind is a little broken.”

“I’m out of my mind?”

“…You could put it that way.”

Go Woon said hesitantly. Beom Taehyuk let out a hollow laugh, pressed the inside of his cheek with his tongue, and stared at Go Woon. The pale face was clouded with worry. His eyes were moist, and the corners of his mouth were slightly turned down. He sighed and asked.

“Do you think me liking you sounds like something a crazy person would say?”

“Yes.”

An unhesitating answer came back. His expression showed he wasn’t even considering any other possibility.

“Taehyuk, I’m a kidnapper and a man. And you’re not gay.”

Go Woon said softly. “You know that, right?” he asked, carefully observing Beom Taehyuk’s face, as if he were truly dealing with a patient. Beom Taehyuk, who had suddenly become mentally unstable, took a deep breath and opened his mouth.

“I like you regardless of you being a kidnapper and a man. I know it doesn’t make logical sense, but I can’t stand it. I like you so much, damn it, I’m dying.”

His calm tone suddenly became rough. This situation, where he was suspected of mental instability after confessing, was utterly absurd.

Beom Taehyuk sneered, looking at Go Woon with wide eyes.

“Ah, then I’m gay.”

Because I like you.

“……”

Go Woon blinked in bewilderment, then cautiously opened his mouth again.

“Taehyuk, you like pretty women. Don’t you remember?”

“Damn it. You’re the prettiest.”

At his irritable words, Go Woon made a tearful face. “Oh no, Taehyuk…” he muttered, looking sad.

It was a failure. This pretty guy was a bigger obstacle than the chains on his ankles.

Ah. Beom Taehyuk sighed and looked at Go Woon. Meanwhile, his eyes and the tip of his nose were reddened, and the face looking up at him so earnestly was pretty. But since the guy didn’t even know how pretty he was, Beom Taehyuk was at a loss as to where to even begin.

“Even if I say you’re pretty, you don’t believe it, and if I say I like you, you’ll just play math games. How can I make you believe me…?”

Beom Taehyuk, lost in thought, suddenly curled the corner of his mouth with a bad temper.

“How about this. The fact that I’ve wanted to give you a damn hard flick on the forehead for a while now, but I’m holding back.”

Go Woon flinched, his shoulders trembling, meeting his crooked gaze. He looked down at Beom Taehyuk’s hand holding his, and seeing his other hand placed on the table, ready, he gulped dryly.

“…Oops. The laundry, uh… I need to do the laundry. It’s a really important task, so I must…”

Go Woon wriggled his trapped hand free. Beom Taehyuk only lowered his pitch-black eyes and watched it, tapping the table with his other hand. At that sound, Go Woon flinched and quickly stood up from the chair. He looked like he was hastily running away to avoid getting a flick on the forehead.

But when Beom Taehyuk beckoned, he resignedly offered his head. His forehead, visible through his disheveled hair, was round and pure white.

“Huh?”

Go Woon, who had tightly closed his eyes, soon opened them in bewilderment.

He knew very well that getting a flick on the forehead from Beom Taehyuk felt like his head was splitting open. But only a light and soft touch had met his forehead. A kiss, that is. Go Woon now knew well what it felt like when Beom Taehyuk kissed him.

…It suddenly felt strange.

“Do that really important task, and come right back.”

Beom Taehyuk, meeting his eyes, said softly. He gently caressed Go Woon’s cheek, then withdrew his hand.

Go Woon glanced back at Beom Taehyuk as he moved.

To date… How could Beom Taehyuk say such a thing to him?

He couldn’t understand it at all, to the point where Go Woon began to doubt everything.

‘Was it a hidden camera prank from the beginning?’

‘If there’s a jerk who planned something like this, he shouldn’t be left alone.’

Clank. His words were chilling as he kicked the chains on his ankle. At times like these, it seemed he hadn’t forgotten that they were kidnapper and victim. He still seemed to feel angry about being kidnapped.

‘Ah. The jerk who planned it is right here.’

Beom Taehyuk turned his head and stared intently at him. Go Woon tried to stealthily escape, but Beom Taehyuk said, ‘I shouldn’t leave you alone,’ then abruptly pulled him into a hug and bit his cheek. Go Woon thought his face was being torn off, but instead of screaming, he laughed as Beom Taehyuk, leaving tooth marks on his cheek, kissed him with soft smooches and burrowed into his neck. ‘Oh, you think this is a game now?’ Beom Taehyuk also chuckled a little, speaking as if he were serious.

The act of pressing his lips to Go Woon’s cheek and sucking it smooch didn’t hurt at all. A red, round mark was left on his cheek, but Beom Taehyuk rubbed it with his thumb and made a satisfied expression. Thereafter, Beom Taehyuk kissed that spot every time Go Woon entered the room.

Beom Taehyuk, unexpectedly, showed a generous attitude no matter what Go Woon said. He didn’t even flick his forehead. Although he sometimes showed a crooked reaction, that didn’t even count as anger. Go Woon knew how terrifying Beom Taehyuk could be when he got angry. His knees would buckle, and his skin would turn chillingly cold.

Ah. There was one time he felt a similar sensation.

‘Go Woon. Do you perhaps not want to date me? If you don’t like it, tell me.’

His eyes, staring intently at Go Woon, were unusually pitch-black. Go Woon felt a choking sensation and merely shook his head without speaking.

‘Do you dislike it, or do you not?’

‘…I want to, date.’

Go Woon barely managed to voice his answer to the question asked in a chilling tone. Then Beom Taehyuk nodded with a softened expression and said, ‘Then we can just do it.’ Go Woon opened his mouth, finding himself strange for feeling terrified even though Beom Taehyuk hadn’t been angry.

‘Assuming a hypothetical situation, that’s how it is. If you were sane, and if I hadn’t kidnapped you, if we had started as friends. And it’s essential to assume that we’re both gay, and also…’

A large hand covered Go Woon’s lips with a thump.

‘My mind goes back and forth, so what do I do if I can’t understand you when you talk for too long?’

Beom Taehyuk, who had been smiling crookedly, said, ‘Damn it, I was being sarcastic. I understand even if you talk for a long time,’ when Go Woon’s eyes reddened looking at him.

Except when he said things like ‘pretty’ or ‘I like you,’ Beom Taehyuk seemed perfectly normal. If there was a problem with his mind, shouldn’t there be some flaw somewhere…?

Go Woon, his monitor in front of him, was lost in thought before glancing at the wall. The hole in the wall, that is.

“Snap out of it.”

Slap! Go Woon slapped his cheek, stared wide-eyed, and glared at the monitor. But that was only for a moment; his gaze subtly shifted to the wall.

…He hadn’t secured a phone number yet, so there was nothing he could do.

Moreover, since he now had a hundred million won, there was no urgent need to work part-time, and he was currently looking for a law firm regarding the lawsuit. Of course, he excluded the one Beom Taehyuk recommended.