DB Vol 3 Part 4

Sang-cheon thought the expected had come when he saw Gye Yoon appear after a week. However, the luggage in his hands and on his back was unexpected.

“W-What’s that?”

When Sang-cheon pointed at the luggage in surprise, Gye Yoon, standing at the door, answered shamelessly,

“I ran away from home.”

…At that age?

Won-woo was really looking forward to getting off work. He thought the pervert who had been confined in the hospital would surely visit his house to enjoy the joy of being discharged. So today, he was determined to catch the guy.

With that thought, he excitedly pedaled his bicycle to his lodging, but he couldn’t enter the house. The lodging was engulfed in flames. As he stood there blankly staring at the fire, he belatedly realized. Not being able to catch the pervert wasn’t the problem. Wait, where am I going to sleep tonight?

“No. Absolutely not.”

Hwang Sang-cheon strongly opposed as he chased after Gye Yoon, who had pushed his way in.

“You think I don’t know what you’re up to?! Absolutely not!”

Thud. Gye Yoon turned around after dropping his luggage next to the old sofa as if throwing it.

“What’s not allowed?”

“You’re trying to settle down here to see Won-woo-nim, aren’t you?!”

“It’s just for one night.”

“Yeah, one night… Huh? Only one night?”

Sang-cheon looked at the other with suspicious eyes, not expecting this duration. Gye Yoon looked down at Sang-cheon while standing on one leg.

“Yes, one night. Is even one night not okay?”

“Well, I guess one night is…”

Though that much shouldn’t be a problem, the uneasiness didn’t disappear.

“Are you really not here for Won-woo-nim?”

“Does that person come at night too?”

“…No.”

“Then we won’t even run into each other.”

“…That’s true.”

Sang-cheon muttered in a deflated voice, then rekindled his spirit thinking of Won-woo.

“Are you really only staying for one night? Why didn’t you go to a hotel?”

“Because I don’t want to be in the newspapers as the vice head of the Gye family entering a hotel with a bag. Satisfied?”

Ah. He was a kind of celebrity in his own right. Though his face wasn’t widely known, there might still be people who recognize him. There are even paparazzi who only follow famous Espers. But still. Sang-cheon put strength in his eyes.

“Even so, you come here?”

“You were the only person I could think of.”

“Uh… only me?”

Gye Yoon looked at him for a moment, then turned his back and pretended to organize his bag to hide his expression.

“Yeah. I guess I wanted to rely on you after calling you father once.”

Rely, he says. This rascal says he wants to rely on him. Gye Yoon’s insincere voice was a lie that anyone could see through, but Sang-cheon was a pure middle-aged man who didn’t belong to that “anyone”. So while he was flustered, something inside his chest resonated.

Everyone knew about the tragedy of the Gye family, so he too was well aware that Gye Yoon had lost his parents at a young age. Could it be that his rude way of speaking was actually a struggle to hide his sadness?

It was his innate nature. Sang-cheon had just momentarily forgotten, lost in his own sentiments.

“Ahem, but you do have family you can rely on, don’t you?”

“The head of the Gye family prioritizes her own family.”

“That’s not true. You’re family too.”

Gye Yoon, who had been turning away to avoid being caught in his uncomfortable lie, turned back when an answer came that didn’t require acting.

“No need to comfort me. I don’t need a family anyway since I might die from a rampage at any time.”

“D-Die? What do you mean?”

“Since I can’t receive guiding, eventually the suppression piercing will burst and I’ll die.”

His nonchalant voice made the listener’s heart even heavier. But he couldn’t say he would ask Won-woo to help again. Glancing at Gye Yoon, his face showed no consideration of guiding with Won-woo.

“Ahem, so if you stay here for one night, where are you planning to go tomorrow?”

“Even if you tell me to stay longer, I won’t.”

It was a blunt response, but Sang-cheon felt slightly sorry for being too sensitive. Did I overreact when he really ran away from home? Feeling awkward, Sang-cheon scratched his head while Gye Yoon started moving the messy items on the sofa to the floor. Seeing this, Sang-cheon frowned.

“Are you going to sleep there? It’ll be narrow and uncomfortable.”

“It’s heaven compared to a cave where not even a speck of sunlight enters.”

Ah… Sang-cheon felt pity again as he watched Gye Yoon’s back organizing his luggage. So he couldn’t even imagine that there was a super king-size comfortable bed in that cave. He only imagined a gloomy place that was dark and damp like a prison, with insects crawling on the walls.

“Ahem, I’ll bring you a blanket. It gets a bit chilly at night.”

“It’s fine. I’m used to sleeping without a blanket.”

Sang-cheon’s eyes wavered again. What, he lived without even a blanket?! He just didn’t use one because his body was naturally warm. However, to Sang-cheon, Gye Yoon’s past year was no different from the Count of Monte Cristo imprisoned in a dungeon.

Right, being in such a bad environment, no wonder the kid speaks so rudely. Look at him now, even though he barged in suddenly, he’s having a proper conversation without cursing once.

He was just putting on an act to get what he wanted. But to Sang-cheon, Gye Yoon already appeared as nothing but a sacrificial uncle who had to endure in a damp underground prison, drinking groundwater flowing on the walls for the sake of his niece.

“Is there anything else you need?”

“There is.”

“What is it?”

Feeling sorry for misunderstanding him, Sang-cheon asked quickly. Gye Yoon stared at him blankly.

“You snore really badly.”

“Haha, I have chronic rhinitis…”

“Get out.”

Where? Who? Me? As Sang-cheon pointed at himself and the door alternately in surprise, unable to speak, Gye Yoon nodded.

“It’s noisy, so get lost.”

And so the homeowner was chased out to a 5-star luxury hotel’s suite room.

9 PM. The reason Won-woo came to Sang-cheon’s office instead of the accommodation was simple. A sudden fire? Although he might not be related to the cause of everything, it couldn’t hurt to be careful and even more careful.

If someone was targeting him, even the ordinary Sang-cheon could be in danger. And as soon as Sang-cheon’s office door opened, his suspicions expanded in another direction.

“We meet again.”

Sang-cheon’s adopted son greeted lightly as if they were seeing each other daily. He was wearing a white short-sleeved T-shirt and jeans instead of his usual black clothes, but even in these clothes, the atmosphere seemed brighter than before. He leaned against the doorframe and asked sarcastically when the surprised Won-woo, didn’t respond.

“Don’t you remember me?”

Won-woo ignored his question and looked inside the door.

“Is Mr. Hwang inside?”

“Come in and check.”

Gye Yoon welcomed him as if it were his own house. But Won-woo continued to scan the inside with his eyes and asked again.

“Is Mr. Hwang not here?”

“Did you usually have so many people trying to mess with you?”

What’s he talking about? When Won-woo looked up, Gye Yoon was staring down at him.

“You seem very cautious.”

“Yes, I am.”

Won-woo answered half-heartedly and lowered his eyes. Though it was probably just a resemblance, his gaze reminded him of someone from the past, which made him uncomfortable.

“What about Mr. Hwang?”

“He went on vacation.”

What? Won-woo forgot his discomfort and quickly raised his head. The Hwang Sang-cheon he knew didn’t like traveling. Because he was the type who liked being at home best. He couldn’t understand the point of tiring himself out by traveling far and paying expensive prices to sleep in unfamiliar beds.

“You look like you don’t believe me.”

Gye Yoon tilted his head to the side, looking puzzled.

“Do you know my father that well?”

The word ‘father’ made Won-woo’s brow furrow briefly. It was a word he couldn’t get used to even hearing it a second time.

“Mr. Hwang seems like the type who would prefer resting at home rather than going on vacation.”

“That’s right. He likes staying at home saying he has everything to enjoy there. But he did go to a nearby luxury hotel room with a sauna, saying he liked it.”

Ah, that’s something he would like. The only thing Sang-cheon enjoyed was the steam room.

“But why did he suddenly go today?”

“Is there a reason he shouldn’t go today?”

There is. Because it’s suspicious. If he went on vacation to a hotel he never usually goes to, just when he came here. And leaving only his adopted son in the office.

“Why did you come today?”

“There was a problem with my accommodation.”

“What kind of problem?”

“There was a fire.”

Gye Yoon looked at him expressionlessly, then slowly twisted his mouth.

“I’m asking just in case, but you’re not thinking that I started the fire to lure you here, are you?”

“…”

“I’m not that crazy. People could have gotten hurt.”

Is that so. Won-woo sighed inwardly. Has his sense dulled from being too suspicious? Well, who would start a fire just to see someone’s face once?

Fortunately, the fire started on the stairs leading to the rooftop of the accommodation, so everyone quickly evacuated downwards and there were no major injuries. However, the bigger problem was the water bomb that burst throughout the building due to sprinkler malfunction. Won-woo put aside his suspicions and took a step back.

“I’ll come back when Mr. Hwang is here next time.”

“Alright.”

As Won-woo was about to turn around, an indifferent voice caught his ankle.

“But it’ll be tiring if you keep trying to run away every time you see me from now on.”

“…”

“It’ll also give you a headache to keep suspecting whether this coincidental meeting was actually a planned script.”

“It doesn’t work.”

What doesn’t? At Gye Yoon’s questioning gaze, Won-woo answered lightly.

“Trying to provoke me by touching my pride like that. Of course, it’s your misunderstanding, and trying to shame me doesn’t work either. Because as long as you’re an Esper, it can’t be my misunderstanding.”

Won-woo’s voice was businesslike to the point of being heartless. The faint hint of a smile in Gye Yoon’s eyes disappeared. Just when Won-woo thought, now he must understand, an unexpected question was heard.

“Then how about ramyun?”

Ramyun? As Won-woo was puzzled, Gye Yoon pointed inside.

“I was boiling ramyun because I was hungry. Does this not work either?”

Ridiculously, it almost worked a little. Because Won-woo hadn’t had dinner yet. But to fall for just ramyun…

“I also have kimchi that father made.”

Sang-cheon’s kimchi! Of course, Won-woo had tasted Sang-cheon’s kimchi before. True to his nature of seeing things through to the end when he focused on something, Sang-cheon had mastered kimchi-making to an art form. Hot ramyun noodles with Sang-cheon’s kimchi. It was hard to resist the temptation. Ha, Won-woo let out a hollow laugh and pushed his bangs back with his hand.

“Sounds delicious.”

“It is delicious. Because I cooked the ramyun.”

At the brazen answer, Won-woo swallowed another hollow laugh that was about to come out. He had met many Espers, but this was the first time someone tried to tempt him with ramyun and kimchi. No, was it really temptation? Actually, it was a bit ambiguous. But he’s an Esper. One who had tasted his guiding, at that.

And even without guiding, there were those who couldn’t hide the lust in their eyes just looking at Won-woo’s appearance. He had countless experiences of receiving sticky, unpleasant molestation just through eye contact. In contrast, while Gye Yoon’s lips were twisted in a smile, his eyes were dry. While verbally tempting him to at least eat ramyun before leaving.

He should just ignore this, but somehow he couldn’t. Without realizing it, his competitive spirit rose. Whether Gye Yoon’s nonchalance was a strategy or not, he wanted to break it a little. So he tried a method that worked on Espers as well as guiding.

“Delicious, you say.”

Won-woo muttered, then put on a big smile. His lips curved generously, changing his expression so much that he looked like a completely different person. Someone once said that Won-woo’s smile was like fragrant spring flowers scattering.

Won-woo also knew how to enhance the effect of this smile. He tilted his head slightly to the side and lowered his gaze between Gye Yoon’s thighs. Even though it wasn’t tight-fitting jeans, he could see a long shape settled on the right thigh. Won-woo asked in a whisper.

“Is it really delicious?”

“…”

“I can’t tell because I haven’t looked properly.”

The response came after a long pause.

“Try it and tell me.”

The low voice flowed into Won-woo’s ears like a whisper. His voice clearly had no form, yet it felt handsome. It was so charming that he must have hesitated without realizing it. Because of that, he raised his head a beat late. And met eyes filled with a deep, dark heat.

It was what Won-woo wanted, but regret immediately washed over him. Those eyes were strangely not unpleasant. But he didn’t feel a sense of superiority that his provocation had worked either. As this feeling was a first, Won-woo tried hard to swallow his confusion. As if cold water had been dumped on his head, he came to his senses and responded coolly.

“I’ll pass after all. Enjoy it by yourself.”

Won-woo left without lingering and instantly came out to the street, but he couldn’t move further. He belatedly realized. Ah, where am I going to sleep?

“Ha. Shit.”

Bang!

Closing Sang-cheon’s research room door hard and coming inside, Gye Yoon cursed and took a deep breath. That wasn’t enough to calm him down, so he roughly ran his hands through his hair. The firm muscles of his arms twitched with each movement as if substituting for his suppressed emotions.

After some time passed, his head seemed to cool down, but not his lower body. His half-erect dick had grown so hard it was making his pants taut. Just from one look from Ji Won-woo.

‘Is it really delicious?’

It still felt like that voice was echoing in his ears. Gye Yoon cursed again, unable to believe his own reaction.

“Am I going crazy, fuck.”

Otherwise, how could he get so aroused from just one look and one word from Ji Won-woo? He ran his hands through his hair again, irritated with himself, but this heat wouldn’t disappear. Instead, even that first smile he saw came to mind.

The moment that big smile spread across Won-woo’s face, it felt like a bright light had been turned on in a dark room. Thud, thud. Gye Yoon walked to the sofa and plopped down, acknowledging one thing. Yeah, that smile was pretty amazing.

“Damn it.”

Gye Yoon uttered what must have been his umpteenth curse, tilting his head back on the sofa and closing his eyes. Then he pondered why he had failed. He really couldn’t understand. Had there ever been a time when his voice didn’t work? He briefly retraced his past.

Not at all, not even one person. Even his sister, who looked down on him, couldn’t easily refuse his requests when Gye Yoon deliberately used his ability to speak. And that sister was even an A-rank upper Esper. Naturally, ordinary people fell for it without much effort. If he just whispered softly in their ears while blocking out other sounds, it always worked without fail. There wasn’t a person whose heart didn’t race. Except for Won-woo just now.

Why on earth?

The irritation wouldn’t go away. It wasn’t because he regretted the effort of burning down Won-woo’s lodging. It was because of his lower part that wouldn’t easily subside. And because that smile seemed to have embedded itself in his mind, refusing to leave easily.