TTD 149

Kang Il-hyun stood with his arms crossed, intently staring at the figure in one corner of his bedroom. When he came to his senses, he’d learned that not only did he have a male lover he couldn’t remember, but he’d also acted like a fool, lavishing him with gifts.

He wanted to throw him out immediately in disbelief, but something oddly bothered him.

Then Il-hyun slightly pulled at the pants the figure was wearing to peek inside. He frowned. Someone had handled it enough that the cock part was worn smooth and shiny.

What is this? What kind of pervert…

[Of course! You sucked my dick, sucked my ass, sucked everything!]

Fuck. That can’t be me.

After making a disgusted face, he checked the size of the cock with his eyes and snickered.

“Smaller than mine.”

This time he lifted the shirt up to the chest. Pink nipples? Whoever made it was quite skilled – it almost felt like a real person standing there. When he absently touched the nipple, it felt soft like the real thing. Finding it amusing, he pinched and twisted it when there was a knock at the door.

“Come in.”

No sooner had he spoken than Kang Yoo-jung entered. She came unfailingly today too to check on his condition. Though she had seemed calm even when telling him about their father’s death, she appeared anxious about her brother losing his memories.

“How are you today?”

“Same as always. I told you not to come when you’re busy. I said I’d handle my own affairs.”

“I saw Ja-kyung leaving when I came in. Did you know?”

“So what?”

“Looking at his travel bag packed with belongings, it seems he’s leaving?”

Il-hyun frowned. What? Because of yesterday? A man getting upset and leaving just because of a little teasing. Actually, from Il-hyun’s perspective, it was rather welcome. He wasn’t happy about keeping someone he couldn’t remember as a lover in his house. He had never brought anyone he dated home before, nor did he tolerate intrusion into his private space.

“Good riddance. You didn’t come to tell me to see him off, did you?”

“Are you really going to leave things like this?”

“Why are you looking after him so much? Were you two that close too?”

Kang Yoo-jung laughed incredulously before completely changing her expression.

“If I said yes, would you hand him over to me?”

Kang Il-hyun nodded and turned away. Do as you please. Take him away and do whatever you want with him. I won’t care.

“You said it yourself. Don’t change your tune later.”

Kang Yoo-jung left, and Il-hyun couldn’t understand her attitude. Though Yoo-jung was kind, she kept business and personal matters separate and had strong individualistic tendencies that made her reluctant to easily show interest or affection for others. So it was puzzling that she took Lee Ja-kyung’s side to such an extent.

As he was about to enter the bathroom, Il-hyun stopped, muttered a curse, and went outside. As Yoo-jung had said, Lee Ja-kyung was saying goodbye, hugging the housekeeper with his luggage beside him. The housekeeper patted his back, wearing a deeply disappointed expression.

“Where are you going?”

“To work.”

“What work?”

Ja-kyung didn’t answer, instead bowing in farewell and turning away. As he pulled his luggage out, Yoo-jung signaled with her eyes to stop him. When Il-hyun shrugged reluctantly, she came and pushed his back.

“Ja-kyung. CEO Kang says he wants to see you off.”

When Il-hyun frowned, Yoo-jung pushed him out anyway, and he had no choice but to watch as Lee Ja-kyung loaded his luggage into the car trunk.

“Where are you going with such a grave expression?”

“To clean up the mess I made.”

“Is this about the intruders at our house? I told Tae-soo to handle it, so leave it.”

“I want to settle it myself.”

“Will you come back here when it’s done?”

“…”

“Why no answer?”

“You don’t like me being here anyway, CEO Kang.”

When Kang Il-hyun didn’t respond, Ja-kyung sat in the driver’s seat with an expressionless face. Just as he was about to close the door, Il-hyun slipped his hand in between. Startled, Ja-kyung looked up as Il-hyun’s hand almost got caught, and saw Kang Il-hyun staring at him with a cigarette in his mouth.

“When it’s done, come back.”

Blinking as if he’d misheard, this time Il-hyun brought his face closer.

“Come back, I said. Because I don’t completely dislike you.”

What’s the difference between not disliking and not completely disliking? Ja-kyung couldn’t figure it out no matter how much he thought about it. Kang Il-hyun closed the door, and Ja-kyung lowered the window, leaning his face out slightly. Since he planned to stay abroad for a while if things escalated, Ja-kyung felt he should say a proper goodbye.

“Take care.”

When he waved lightly, Kang Il-hyun scratched the inside of his cheek with his tongue. He seemed to have something to say, but the conversation ended when his phone rang. Ja-kyung started the car, and in the rearview mirror, Kang Il-hyun was talking on the phone while watching him. He didn’t leave his spot until Ja-kyung completely disappeared from view.

***

After parking the car in the hotel’s underground parking lot, Ja-kyung, Wang Lun, and Wang Han were waiting for someone. While everyone wore bored expressions, Lun, sitting in the driver’s seat, giggled while watching a video. It was footage of animals. Lately, Wang Lun had been oddly obsessed with puppies and kittens. Last time, he even skipped going to church to visit a shelter for stray dogs.

“Wei, look at this. Isn’t it too cute?”

Han reprimanded him.

“Don’t bring one home if you can’t properly take care of it. It’s a crime for wanderers like us to keep pets.”

“I could settle down.”

“Talk about something realistic. You’re the one who gets restless when staying in one place too long.”

“Wei, will you raise one? The CEO’s house has a big yard and lots of other dogs.”

Wang Han jabbed his side and gave him a look, telling him to stop talking. Asking if he really had to bring that up to someone already upset about Kang Il-hyun not recovering his memories. Though Lun belatedly apologized, Ja-kyung wasn’t really listening, his attention focused outward.

“He’s out.”

As Ja-kyung spoke, they spotted the lawyer he had saved in the underground before. He was extremely wary of his surroundings, and Ja-kyung got out of the car and gestured to him. As he approached, his complexion looked better than before, and his expression had brightened.

“Hello. Have you been well? What brings you here?”

“How’s my brother? Did he go to work?”

“Yes, the prosecutor’s suspension was lifted and he went to work. As instructed, I kept your visit today a secret, Ja-kyung-ssi.”

Ja-kyung smiled saying he’d done well, then opened the back door and pushed the man in. Get in first. Though the lawyer asked in confusion why he was doing this, Ja-kyung didn’t answer and after getting him completely inside, sat next to him to prevent his escape. With a thud, the door closed and the car immediately started, fear appearing on the lawyer’s face.

“W-where are we going?”

“To meet Lee Man-soo.”

The lawyer’s face turned ghost-white. Wait! Let me out! This isn’t what we agreed to! I said I’d cooperate! Please spare my life! When he tried to force his way out while pleading, Ja-kyung struck his nape to knock him unconscious. Seeing the lawyer slumped over, Wang Lun clicked his tongue.

“That’s why you should go quietly. Why make such a fuss.”

“He must be scared. Having nearly died after being caught by that bastard, how would you feel if told you’re going to meet him again?”

“How? I’d be happy. Thinking I’d kill the bastard with my own hands this time. Wouldn’t you think that?”

“Lun, for normal people, being scared is the natural reaction.”

Is that so? Wang Lun tilted his head before calling to Ja-kyung in the back.

“Wei. Are we leaving the security guard behind?”

“He’s betrayed us once. He might pretend to submit to us while communicating with them. Did you lock him up well?”

“Yeah, he definitely won’t get out.”

Wang Lun had confined the security guard in his secret location. After that, he looked into various things, and as the guard had said, it was true that his parents were sick and all his money had gone there. His house was about to be foreclosed by the bank, and trying to support his athlete brother, he’d even borrowed from loan sharks, nearly ending up losing his organs.

“Should we kill him when this is over?”

“Let’s think about it.”

While the three talked, the car had already left the city center and arrived at a quiet area. It was near the seaside, the surroundings were sparse, and there were old warehouses scattered about. The meeting place was a factory located in the innermost part of this area.

It had been closed for a long time, and it was desolate; even during the preliminary visit, it felt like it would be hard to find anyone if someone were to die there. As the car slowly came to a stop, the lawyer groaned and regained consciousness. He saw Jae-kyung and tried to open the car door to escape. Grabbing him by the nape, he struggled and begged for his life.

“I came to save you. Let’s say you helped my brother and ended up in prison. Then what? You think there won’t be their gang members in prison? He’s a known gangster, they say. Taking your life would be nothing to them.”