Destruction — Chapter 42

“Hyung… I’m exhausted…”

“Just pick up what’s at your feet and we’ll go.”

“What’s at my fee… huh!”

He must really have been out of it. Seeing the cluster of freshwater snails beneath his feet, Saejin jumped. This amount was enough for all three of them to eat plenty. He plunged his hand into the water, plucking them up one by one and lifting them above the surface.

“Put them in here.”

Woobeom pulled out a black plastic bag and held the opening wide so it would be easy to drop them in.

“Wow, this place is basically a whole snail field.”

He lifted a suitable-sized rock and scraped off the snails clinging to it, making them spill down in a cascade. By the time the bag was getting heavy, small minnows darted between their legs. It would’ve been nice to catch some freshwater fish too, but greed would only cause trouble. Satisfied with the snails, Saejin stepped out of the valley.

“Ugh, squishy.”

His waterlogged sneakers squelched loudly with every step. Until they dried, he’d probably have to walk around in slippers.

“Hyuuung… I feel weird, I don’t think I can walk.”

Dragging out his words in a whiny tone, he tried to cling for comfort. But Woobeom, who had been walking ahead, suddenly stopped. He looked Saejin up and down with eyes sharp enough to shoot lasers, making Saejin shrink without meaning to. The weather was still chilly, maybe throwing him in cold water had been too much. Now that the fun was over, all that remained was a shivering, freezing Yoon Saejin.

“Want me to carry you?”

“…Huh?”

“Get on.”

It had only been a playful whine. Somehow, within seconds, Woobeom had already decided something and crouched down, offering his back like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Hurry up. Get on.”

“Well… if you insist.”

Ah, he was doomed. Saejin’s heart started pounding out of control. If it kept up like this, his heart might actually get worn out and disappear.

‘…Guilty. Completely guilty.’

He was trying to seduce him at this point. Wicked hyung. The water-soaked fabric clung to Woobeom’s body, outlining every line. There were limits to seduction, but this guy had none. And now he was offering to carry him on his back? Saejin practically melted onto him.

“I’ll be heavy.”

“You’re not.”

“But I’m soaked.”

“I said you’re not.”

“…Okay.”

Saejin enjoyed the elevated view to his heart’s content. Was this always the height from which Woobeom looked down at him? Breathing in the upper-level air, Saejin finally lowered his head and buried his nose against the nape of Woobeom’s neck. He felt Woobeom’s shoulders twitch faintly at the contact.

“Hyung, did you know you always smell really nice?”

“If you act up again, I’m leaving you here.”

“Yes.”

Pressing his lips together, Saejin pulled back from the warmth of Woobeom’s neck and lifted his head. What he saw next…

Woobeom’s earlobes were red as if about to explode.

Trying not to burst out laughing, Saejin bit down on his lower lip to hold in the ticklish feeling bubbling up inside him.

* * *

When the two returned to the villa, they were confronted with a situation so absurd it left them speechless. Tae Kyungshik, who was supposed to quietly watch the house, had done something unbelievable.

“…Mister. Did you really eat all of this by yourself?”

It made no sense. Looking half–drunk and dazed, Kyungshik burped and waved his hand lazily. Judging by the way he was sprawled across the sofa, he wasn’t just a little drunk, he was gone. On the table were piles of food products, clearly taken from their food storage. The wrappers of things they hadn’t even touched to save for emergencies were all torn open. A wave of frustration rose up inside Saejin.

“You ate all of this?! And all at once?! What were you thinking?!”

The food wasn’t only scattered across the table, some were tossed on the floor with bites taken out and abandoned. This amount could’ve fed Saejin and Woobeom six full meals. And he had eaten all of it alone. It was a miracle his stomach hadn’t burst.

“Oh, you’re back?”

Seeing him grin so casually in this situation only made Saejin’s irritation flare even more. Leaving fuming Saejin behind, Woobeom stepped forward and spoke briefly.

“What are you doing.”

“Hyung… Hyungnim…”

“Why are you lying around like that.”

“It’s… not what it looks like.”

As if he had never been drunk at all, Kyungshik jumped up instantly and began cleaning the table. It seemed Woobeom’s voice alone had snapped him back to reality. Watching him, Woobeom clicked his tongue once and headed to the kitchen. They couldn’t make him spit the food back out, so he let it slide. Kyungshik had probably not eaten properly while drifting around, so he decided to forgive him just this once.

“…Ugh. Hyung, look at this. He even ate the ramen I left on the shelf.”

Before drinking, he must’ve stuffed himself with ramen, there was a pot with red pepper flakes stuck all over it. If he had at least cleaned up afterward, maybe it would be forgivable. Grumbling, Saejin glared at the pot like he wanted to murder it. He doubted Kyungshik could even take care of his own body properly, if he made him wash dishes, he’d probably wreck the kitchen. He wanted to order him to clean up immediately, but forced himself to hold it in.

“Seriously…”

As Saejin scrubbed the dirty dishes with soap, Woobeom picked up the trash scattered around.

“Hyung, can I just punch him once? You said you outranked him before.”

“He’ll be leaving soon anyway.”

“But still…”

“If he does it again, I’ll say something.”

“…Okay.”

Saejin didn’t like how lenient Woobeom was, but it was his decision. Respecting that, he nodded and turned on the sink. Having to clean up after a pot-bellied old man while still dripping wet from the valley wasn’t helping his mood at all.

“Hyung, I’m going to change clothes.”

After finishing the dishes, Saejin dried his hands and headed to the bedroom. At the counter, Woobeom was sorting the snails when he suddenly remembered the bedroom door had been broken earlier.

‘He’s probably struggling with it again.’

He pictured Saejin rattling the stuck doorknob, trying to force it open. All the room keys were kept together in the shoe cabinet by the front door. Picking them up, Woobeom walked toward Saejin’s room, only to find a completely unexpected sight.

“…Yoon Saejin?”

“Yes? Why?”

The door to Saejin’s room was open. As Saejin stepped out in fresh clothes, Woobeom called to him in a tone filled with suspicion. But Saejin simply answered brightly, not understanding the situation at all.

“The door should’ve been locked.”

“Huh? Why would the door be locked? It opens just fine.”

The ring of keys clattered in Woobeom’s hand.

“Anyway, there was this weird smell in the room. Ugh… why? Did I forget to ventilate yesterday?”

Waving his hands, Saejin said he had opened the window before coming out so the smell could clear. Woobeom headed straight to the shoe cabinet. He opened the door and shone his flashlight inside the dark compartment, and saw exactly what he expected.

‘He touched them.’

Ever since they arrived at the villa, no one had touched the keys. But in the dust collected on the bottom panel, there was a clear handprint dragged across it. From the circumstances, it seemed Tae Kyungshik had handled the keys while they were gone.

What was the right way to deal with this? How should he respond wisely? Woobeom considered it seriously. Maybe there was no malicious intent. Knowing Kyungshik’s personality, it was entirely possible that his curiosity got the better of him and he opened the door recklessly. But the real issue was that he had touched the keys without permission, when no one was home.

‘I should warn him.’

Even if curiosity came before sense, rummaging through someone’s private villa couldn’t be forgiven lightly. Woobeom had never shown him the food storage either, yet Kyungshik had found alcohol and snacks. It meant he had searched the entire place. He didn’t expect him to hide like a ghost while staying here, but he did expect basic manners. If he let this slide, it would only happen again. The same with the drugs, anything suspicious needed to be dealt with early.

“Kyungshik.”

“Y-yes?”

“Come with me.”

Staggering as he tried to clean the table, Kyungshik shut his eyes tightly at Woobeom’s summons. It didn’t seem like Woobeom was going to scold him for eating the food. That left only one answer. Yoon Saejin’s room. He must have been caught using the key to open the door. Now that he thought about it, he probably forgot to lock the door again when he left. Idiot. Cursing his carelessness, he followed Woobeom out.

Crossing the entryway, Kyungshik spotted Woobeom standing further ahead and bowed slightly as he approached. Before admitting his wrongdoing, he tried acting pitiful. The cold air helped sober him up, but facing Woobeom in this state made his nerves spike, this time it might not end with just a slap.

“You know why I called you.”

“…Yes.”

“Explain.”

He had been holding back earlier so Saejin wouldn’t breathe secondhand smoke. Now Woobeom pulled out a cigarette and put it between his lips. He didn’t want to get needlessly irritable. If he were living alone in the villa, he might’ve ignored a locked door being opened. But this…

‘What a damn mess.’

Chewing on the filter, Woobeom realized he was angry. Ridiculous. He hated that someone other than himself had entered Saejin’s personal space. Not knowing any of this, Kyungshik hurried to offer a lighter to help.

“I’m sorry. I must’ve gotten a bit carried away… I won’t do anything stupid again.”

“How old are you.”

“……”

“Act your age. Okay?”

“…Yes.”

Maybe he wasn’t talking to Kyungshik, maybe he was mocking himself. Woobeom’s lips twisted faintly. Jealousy made him look pathetic.

“Hand.”

Blowing a cloud of smoke, Woobeom motioned with his chin. Before the smell could stick to him, he needed an ashtray. The burning tip was on the verge of dropping onto Kyungshik’s rough palm…

“Hyung? What are you doing out there?”

Saejin poked his head out the window, calling Woobeom to come eat lunch. Woobeom’s hand froze midair. The human-ashtray plan died instantly. Saejin was watching.

“Get rid of it.”

Woobeom flicked the cigarette butt roughly onto the ground and brushed his palms. In that short moment, the sharp smell of smoke already clung to him. Kyungshik lowered his trembling hand, soaked in cold sweat. It all happened in an instant. One word from Yoon Saejin made Jeong Woobeom stop. Until Woobeom returned inside, Kyungshik didn’t move a single step, he could only stand there in humiliation. That brat, who did he think he was? It felt like Saejin was sitting above him, mocking him from overhead.

“Damn…”

Kicking a rock with full force, Kyungshik ground his teeth. He hated admitting that Woobeom had changed, but there was no denying reality anymore. Where had the man he once respected gone? Woobeom had changed beyond recognition. And he couldn’t possibly see the one responsible, Yoon Saejin, as anything but the root of it.

Back inside, Saejin tore open the steaming instant meal he had just heated. Naturally, there was no portion for Kyungshik. After eating that much, wanting more would be shameless.