PSY CH 44

Hangyeol must have had somewhere to go, but for some reason, he followed Jooyoung closely. It seemed like he was planning to have a proper conversation, as he even rested his elbows on the counter. He looked at Jooyoung with sparkling eyes.

“Hyung, when did you get close with Hwangdo?”

“…”

“You guys didn’t get along before, did you?”

The one who answered was Dohyun. He spoke nonchalantly while staring at the monitor, “Aren’t you going?”

Hangyeol blinked and then casually replied, “I’ll go in a bit.”

“Don’t whine later, just go.”

“Wait, are you kicking me out now~?”

Hangyeol exaggerated his surprise and pressed his body even closer to Jooyoung.

“Hyung, Hwangdo’s bullying me. You should scold him.”

Every time Hangyeol whined, their bodies brushed against each other. Hangyeol seemed used to being clingy. He didn’t appear awkward about leaning on others.

“Weren’t you going somewhere?”

Jooyoung looked up at Hangyeol and asked.

“It’s okay if I go a little later.”

“…”

“Oh, right! Hyung, I got a new piercing here. Wanna see?”

Hangyeol tilted his head and leaned his upper body slightly forward, showing off the new piercing. It wasn’t hard to spot—it was around the upper part of his earlobe, and the skin around it was slightly red. The round piercing sparkled like his eyes.

“How is it? How is it?”

Hangyeol eagerly waited for Jooyoung’s opinion. Even after hearing that it suited him, he still didn’t move his body away.

At that moment, Jooyoung felt a sharp gaze. Dohyun, with a cool expression, was staring at them. Jooyoung felt a moment of unease, wondering if he was about to say something strange.

“Hangyeol.”

“Yeah?”

“I came here to talk to Dohyun alone, so could you give us some space?”

Hangyeol blinked blankly for a moment but then nodded in understanding. Though he looked a bit disappointed, he didn’t argue. He placed his hand on the counter, straightened his body, and added in a light tone.

“Hyung, if you have time, come by our store sometime.”

After leaving those words, Hangyeol exited the arcade with light steps. Jooyoung didn’t take his eyes off the door until it closed.

Ding, the sound of the door closing echoed.

“…”

Dohyun set the mouse down that he had been gripping tightly. Before he knew it, his eyes met Jooyoung’s, who had turned his head.

“Take this.”

Jooyoung held out the shopping bag over the counter. Dohyun didn’t even look at it. He turned his gaze back to the monitor and spoke indifferently.

“Just use it.”

“I don’t need it.”

At the firm tone in Jooyoung’s voice, Dohyun’s eyebrows twitched.

“If you have time to do something like this, just use that time to delete the video.”

The shopping bag contained ointment, painkillers, and a cushion. Jooyoung didn’t know what Dohyun was thinking when he gave him these, but to him, it was nothing short of insulting.

“I don’t know what’s got you so worked up this time.”

“…”

“If you don’t need it, just throw it away.”

Dohyun crossed his arms and spoke in a calm, almost careless tone. His relaxed demeanor, so different from Jooyoung’s, irritated him. Frustrated, Jooyoung angrily threw the shopping bag. The contents spilled out, but Dohyun only laughed.

“Oh, now your temper’s showing.”

The mocking voice grated on Jooyoung’s nerves.

Dohyun uncrossed his arms and crouched down. He set the shopping bag upright and casually started picking up the spilled items.

“Answer the phone when I call you.”

The shopping bag was placed back under the counter, looking as it had at the start.

“Don’t make me call you twice.”

“…”

“If you don’t answer, I’ll come find you.”

Without realizing it, Jooyoung turned around. Though others were far enough from the counter to hear the conversation, he couldn’t stop himself from being on edge. He was uneasy about what Dohyun might say.

After a long silence, Jooyoung suddenly asked.

“…Is there a video to begin with?”

His voice was noticeably lower, as if he were aware of the surroundings. But it was still loud enough for Dohyun to hear.

“Well, if you want, we could watch it together.”

Dohyun spread his arms wide and leaned on the counter, exuding confidence, as though they could watch it anytime. Jooyoung glared at him and asked.

“Is it really a hundred times?” 

Dohyun raised an eyebrow. He looked genuinely surprised, as if he hadn’t expected Jooyoung to bring it up again. 

“What if you get tired and can’t make it to a hundred?” 

“Mm…”

Dohyun’s index finger tapped the counter twice, sharply.

“I want it to be sure. What will you do then?”

“I’ll delete it.”

“…Don’t change your word when the time comes.” 

Instead of answering, Dohyun just flashed a grin. His lack of a clear answer made Jooyoung uneasy, but he could do nothing. As he had said, it was Jooyoung who was at a disadvantage here.

Jooyoung clenched his fists tightly and turned around. As he walked away, Dohyun called out and once again said, “Answer the phone right away.” There was an unmistakable amusement in his voice. 

Before closing the door, Jooyoung glanced back at Dohyun standing behind the counter. His lips, slightly curved beneath the zipped-up collar, were hard to see.

“Don’t you think he probably has tattoos? Something like irezumi.”

Jooyoung knew that Dohyun didn’t have tattoos. What covered his body were only scars. Without realizing, Jooyoung wondered if that was Dohyun’s weakness.

Maybe that was why he hid them.

***

A large, thick palm reached toward the sky. The next thing that would happen was inevitable. 

The hunched shoulders and tightly shut eyes. The violence would fall on the exposed, defenseless body. 

“Ah!”

But the scream came from an unexpected place. It didn’t stop after one; it continued. Even after the hand that had been cutting through the air froze in place, the screams still rang out. 

“Young-ah!”

Startled, Jungseop rushed over. He tried to comfort Jooyoung, who had burst into tears after the desperate scream, but the tears showed no sign of stopping.

“It’s okay. It’s okay. Young-ah, nothing happened.”

Jeongseop gently stroked Jooyoung’s back and glanced at Dohyun. 

“Right? Dohyun?”

It was only then that Dohyun straightened his hunched body. He turned his eyes to glance at the elderly man standing before him. The tallest person here, with graying hair that made him look middle-aged. Dohyun’s grandfather.

“…”

The man who had nonchalantly raised his hand every time Dohyun cried now behaved differently. Even though his face showed dissatisfaction, he refrained from striking. The hand that was usually raised to hit Dohyun, the one adorned with a heavy gold ring, had always left painful bruises on his body.

“Dohyun, you’re okay, right?”

Jungseop asked again. Dohyun nodded absentmindedly.

“See? Dohyun is fine. Stop crying now.”

Jungseop continued to soothe Jooyoung’s small frame.

“The child must be very scared.”

One of the elderly men clicked his tongue. 

“Hey, stop it already—what are you doing in front of that child!”

“Yeah. What part of Dohyun is there to even hit, that you raise your hand every time?”

The elderly men holding their cards began to murmur among themselves.

“Tsk.”

“…”

“What kind of boy cries like that?”

Dohyun’s grandfather snapped, his frustration evident. He plopped down into a seat and, with a rough movement, took off his coat before looking at Jooyoung. He’d raised his hand to Dohyun countless times, but this was the first time he’d seen Jooyoung cry.

He spat phlegm into the ashtray, then shifted his weight and pulled his wallet from his back pocket. It was stuffed with cash. 

“Here.”

He held out a ten thousand-won note toward the sobbing Jooyoung.

Jooyoung’s gaze landed on the gently fluttering bill. Peeking out just behind Jungseop’s shoulder, Jooyoung sniffled quietly. The old man let out a laugh for the first time since coming here, as if the tear-soaked face struck him as oddly amusing.

“Why don’t you go buy something to eat?”

His yellowish, glinting eyes were filled with moisture. But Jooyoung hesitated to take the money. Not stopping there, he suddenly snorted in a huff. The old man was taken aback and let out a dry laugh.

“Aigoo, this boy is really something, isn’t he?”

Several of the other elderly men chuckled at Jooyoung’s response.

“I’m going to the supermarket.”

As if he hadn’t been crying at all, Jooyoung’s voice was clear again. He wiped his tears as he pulled away from Jungseop’s arms. Of course, there were no words of thanks. If it weren’t for his eyes, which were still swollen like they had been dipped in flower water, and his damp eyelashes, no one would believe that Jooyoung had cried.

“Don’t go too far.”

Jungseop advised him once more as he returned to the card game. Jooyoung opened the sliding door with his small hand. The thick cigarette smoke slowly drifted out through the gap in the door.

Sitting down and putting on his shoes, Jooyoung glanced at Dohyun and asked.

“Are you not going, too?”

Dohyun, who had been standing motionless, finally began to move slowly. Next to the neatly placed sandals, Dohyun’s dirty slippers were flipped over on the floor.

Dohyun just stared at them, blankly.

“Hurry up and put them on.”

Jooyoung nudged his slippers with his toes. His voice carried an edge of irritation, as if he couldn’t stand the delay.

Only then did Dohyun cautiously slip his feet into the slippers. Jooyoung didn’t help him up from his frozen state, nor did he ask if he was okay. He didn’t ask why Dohyun got hit by his grandfather every day.

He simply waited until Dohyun finished putting on his shoes.