KTS Ch 13
by soapaAs soon as Woojung entered the VIP lounge, Seo Dowon and Park Chankyu’s eyes widened and their jaws dropped. Seo Dowon wrapped an arm around Woojung’s neck, pulling him into a side headlock as he grumbled.
“You heartless jerk. I sent you so many messages, but you didn’t even read them for days!”
“Ah, ow….”
“How could you do this to me!”
Watching them, Park Chankyu separated the two and said.
“Save the greetings for later. The part leader is coming.”
The part leader stood where the manager used to stand during morning briefings. His attire had changed as well. He was wearing a jacket over his vest. The only position allowed to wear a jacket in the lounge was the manager. The staff, who were aware of this, all fixed their gazes on the part leader.
“Good morning. Before we pre-open and let the part-timers in, I have an announcement. Everyone, please come over here and stand in a circle.”
The part leader had the staff, who were standing in stiffly aligned rows, form a circle as he continued to speak.
“There’s been an emergency personnel change. I only found out when I came to work today… Manager Park Jiseung has apparently submitted his resignation due to personal reasons.”
The staff members began to murmur.
Seo Dowon nudged Park Chankyu’s side and raised his eyebrows as if to say, what’s going on. Park Chankyu mouthed back, I don’t know either, and shook his head. For Woojung, who knew the whole story, it was a ridiculous explanation.
“And….”
The manager smiled, drawing out the moment.
“It feels really strange to introduce myself… ahem. I am Gu Yeongmo, and I will be working as the manager starting today. I look forward to working with you all.”
The new manager bowed deeply toward the staff.
After a moment of hesitation, the staff cheered and clapped for him. The manager, saying, ‘Ah, this is so embarrassing,’ bowed his head here and there, his ears turning red, and then said.
“The vacant part leader position will be filled by staff member Park Chankyu starting today. Please come out and say a few words, Part Leader Park Chankyu.”
Woojung and Seo Dowon simultaneously turned to look at Park Chankyu.
Park Chankyu seemed to have had no idea about his own promotion. He was pushed forward by Seo Dowon’s hand on his back.
“I am Park Chankyu. I look forward to working with you.”
The room grew momentarily noisy. Manager Gu Yeongmo clapped his hands to draw everyone’s attention. He went over the things to check on the first day of boarding, showing a rather manager-like demeanor.
“98 VIP lounge passengers, 26 VIP lounge staff members. Since it’s winter, we have plenty of seats. Still, the proportion of passengers boarding our cruise for the first time is high, so for the first day’s guidance….”
Woojung stood still, listening attentively to the new manager’s briefing. He was so lost in the smoothly flowing explanation that before he knew it, it was time for the final part.
“Alright, now we will proceed with the last item on the agenda that everyone has been waiting for.”
Seo Dowon’s eyes sparkled as he looked at Manager Gu Yeongmo. All the staff, except for Park Chankyu who looked like his soul had left his body, were all ears. Seeing this, Woojung nudged Seo Dowon’s side and asked.
“What is it?”
“The announcement of the best staff of the last quarter.”
He felt like he had vaguely heard about it during his training. At that time, he was so happy about the fact that he could earn money that he didn’t have the mind to pay attention to such detailed events.
Manager Gu Yeongmo scanned the staff, and his eyes met Woojung’s. The corners of his mouth lifted as he exclaimed.
“The best staff of the last voyage is staff member Cheon Woojung. Come on, everyone, a round of applause for our new staff member!”
This time, Seo Dowon and Park Chankyu’s eyes widened as they looked at Woojung.
Seo Dowon’s eyes sparkled as he slapped Woojung’s back repeatedly.
“Ah shit, I’m so damn jealous.”
“Th-thank you. Thank you.”
Woojung bowed awkwardly in all directions.
“Several posts praising Mr. Cheon Woojung have been uploaded to our company’s website. Anyone who is curious can go and read them. Staff member Woojung, please come here for a moment.”
Woojung received the box that Manager Gu Yeongmo held out. Inside was a gold medal.
4th Quarter Best Staff
Fine Gold
99.9
22.5g
He was bewildered. It was an award he received for his work, but it felt like a windfall. With a dazed expression, Woojung held the box in his hand and stood next to Manager Gu Yeongmo to have a Polaroid picture taken.
Woojung, Seo Dowon, and the other staff began their internal checks, while the part leader and the manager went into the meeting room. It was because an adjustment to the work schedule was needed now that a staff member had been promoted to part leader.
In just half a day, the schedule was newly updated. In the break room, Seo Dowon, who was looking at the intranet on his phone app, shook Woojung.
“Wow, this is amazing. Things like this happen now that Chankyu hyung is the part leader. Look at this. This is one hundred percent something hyung pulled strings for, for real.”
“What is it?”
“We’ve been moved from the morning shift to the afternoon shift. We can go sightseeing at the port of call now too.”
Woojung’s eyes widened as he looked at Seo Dowon.
“Staff members can go sightseeing at the ports of call?”
“Participating in the programs is for passengers only, so that’s difficult, but it’s possible for us to wander around on our own. From 10 in the morning to 3 in the afternoon.”
Normally, he would have been in his cabin. But not now. After being confined in Sa Gongjun’s house for a while, and then thinking about being confined again on Sa Gongjun’s cruise, his stomach felt tight as if he had indigestion.
Wouldn’t he feel a little better if he got some fresh air?
Woojung looked at Seo Dowon.
“Dowon. Should we go out for a little while?”
“Let’s do it. Let’s go out, get in the mood, and eat something delicious. There are a lot of places at the port of call that give discounts if you show your staff ID card, so it’s pretty fun to take advantage of that.”
“You can do that too?”
“Yeah, it’s just them trying to secure regulars by telling us to come and have fun often. Well then, I’ll ask Chankyu hyung.”
“Okay.”
Seo Dowon sent a message on his phone and asked.
“Where should we get off, Tianjin? Qingdao?”
“Qingdao?”
The moment Woojung mumbled the place name, which was more familiar to him as the name of a beer, Seo Dowon nodded his head, saying that sounded good.
🌸
At 10 a.m. the day after arriving at the Qingdao cruise terminal. An announcement came on, stating that it was fine to begin sightseeing at the port of call. Woojung followed Park Chankyu and Seo Dowon out.
He got off the cruise and stepped on land. Woojung took a deep breath, oblivious to the cold. The smell of winter, the salty scent of the seaside, and the faint, unique aroma of spices in the air rushed in. It was a monumental moment, smelling the scent of a foreign country for the first time in his life.
They boarded a shuttle bus waiting in front of the cruise. They passed through the wide harbor roads and completed the immigration process in a flash. As soon as Woojung stepped into the terminal waiting area with an excited gait, someone approached him.
“Five hours, fifty thousand won. I’ll bring you back here at three o’clock.”
The Korean was halting but clear. How did he know that he was Korean. When Woojung looked at him with wide, surprised eyes, the local guide got excited and stuck close to Woojung.
“SIM card, Wi-Fi here. This also fifty thousand won.”
“Uh….”
“Okay?”
I should ask the others first. While he was hesitating, Park Chankyu, who had finished the procedures and returned, waved his hand saying, next time, next time. It seemed the guide had instinctively chosen the easiest target among the three, but it was not easy to win over the seasoned Park Chankyu.
Park Chankyu scolded Woojung.
“What are you doing listening to all of that. Do you realize you were about to be swindled out of a hundred thousand won with your eyes wide open? If you can’t say no, just say next time, next time and walk away. They won’t follow you to the end.”
“Thanks, hyung, I’ll try that next time.”
Woojung did not mind the scolding. When he looked at him with a smile, Park Chankyu’s face turned bright red. Seo Dowon patted Park Chankyu’s back and said.
“You get used to it if you see it often, hyung.”
They took a taxi and traveled for 30 minutes. They went to a seafood restaurant called Shuangheyuan. There were over twenty plates of different kinds of clams on the table, and an endless line of fish types were laid out on a wide bed of ice.
Park Chankyu picked up the plastic chips stacked in front of the ingredients. He said that if you put them in a basket and paid, they would cook the food for you. One mackerel chip, one pile of vegetables. What kind of combination is that, are we eating it raw? Or are we eating it grilled? When Woojung showed a curious gaze, Seo Dowon said with a smile.
“This place is famous for its dumplings.”
“Dumplings?”
“Yeah.”
“Chankyu hyung just put mackerel in.”
“Yeah. The tuna dumplings are delicious too, want to try?”
It was fascinating. Woojung immediately nodded his head. Then Park Chankyu, who was looking at the menu next to him, abruptly said.
“Woojung might not be able to eat it if it smells fishy, so should we order pork dumplings too?”
Seo Dowon made a circle with his thumb and index finger and waved it at Park Chankyu.
Woojung ordered a glass of draft beer for himself. Park Chankyu and Seo Dowon ordered bottled beer, and they were a bit surprised when the bottled beer came out lukewarm. The two of them chuckled, saying it was best to eat according to the local ways when you come here, and raised their glasses.
Woojung drank his beer and tried a tuna dumpling. He was surprised by the moist juices and doubly surprised by the clean, savory taste. It’s delicious. He ate another one. Park Chankyu looked proud watching Woojung eat so well. Then, without any warning, he suddenly asked.
“Woojung, are you seeing anyone?”
His chopsticks stopped.
Seeing someone. There was a person he had a relationship with. But could that be described as seeing someone. Woojung’s expression turned serious as he thought it over. It was not a simple relationship of just having sex, but a very strange relationship where they gave and received what they wanted from each other based on need. How could he explain this to other people?
There’s someone who buys my body with money. He imagined himself spitting out those words. He might never be able to speak with them again. He did not want that.
“Uh… what’s with this reaction. Someone came to mind, didn’t they?”
“Ah, no.”
“Your expression is exactly that of someone thinking of somebody. Are you dating anyone?”
“I’m not.”
“Really? Then what about your most recent relationship?”
“…Not yet.”
When Woojung said that, Park Chankyu and Seo Dowon looked at Woojung at the same time. A short silence fell.
“What? Not even once?”
“…Yes.”
“You’ve never dated anyone, not even once until now?”
Park Chankyu’s voice grew louder. Woojung felt a deep sense of relief that this was a foreign country thousands of miles away and clutched his chest. It was not something to be proud of, and he did not want to spread such news all over the neighborhood.
“…Uh, yes.”
Park Chankyu’s jaw dropped. Seo Dowon picked up a tuna dumpling and stuffed it into his mouth, frowning his eyebrows.
“What’s wrong with this hyung. Just talk about the drama you watched yesterday instead.”
I went to bed early yesterday. Park Chankyu, after saying that, chewed on the dumpling and looked at Woojung. After moistening his throat with beer, he asked again.
“Do you have an ideal type?”
Seo Dowon nagged, saying what is seriously wrong with you today, but he still held his beer glass to his lips and waited for Woojung’s answer.
Just then, the restaurant door opened and men in suits entered. One of them looked just like Sa Gongjun. To be precise, his build was much smaller than Sa Gongjun’s and his looks were terrible, but the rough way he carelessly flung the door open was just like him.
“Someone upright and kind.”
“…That’s totally by the book.”
“And someone who respects and is considerate of other people’s time.”
“This kid is a total old soul. I feel like I’m looking at a friend my age who has gone through several rounds of dating and is completely exhausted.”
Woojung gave an awkward laugh.
“What’s with this buzzkill laugh. Don’t be like that, tell me a little more clearly. If the conditions are right, I can introduce you to a staff member too.”
“I haven’t thought about anything other than that. I’ll think about it and tell you next time.”
“You mean that, for real. I’m going to ask you again next time. Got it?”
The topic quickly shifted to something else.
Park Chankyu seemed burdened by the fact that although it was good to be promoted, he had moved up to a position that came with responsibility. Seo Dowon listened to his story, chiming in appropriately. Woojung just listened to the conversation, nodding his head.
Just then, his pocket vibrated. It was Sa Gongjun. He shuddered with a chilling feeling that made his heart shrink. The only times he ever contacted him first were when he was to hold his phone and masturbate. A 100% probability, every single time.
This was the first time he had contacted him at this hour. But he could not just ignore it. He was afraid of the aftermath. Woojung glanced at his phone’s lock screen and sighed in relief. Thankfully, it was a message.
Sa Gongjun: Are you getting by okay?
(11:21 am)
Yes, I’m doing well. I was chosen as the best staff and I received a gold medal and I’m getting a bonus too. It’s all thanks to you, Executive Director. Thank you.
He wrote a long message like that, and then deleted it all. It seemed too long. Besides, it felt like there was no need to share such trivial daily details with a person who had no interest in him other than sex. It is truly pathetic, being so conscious of his mood and trying to send a message even from so far away. Woojung let out a sigh that was not obvious. In that moment, he remembered what Sa Gongjun had said to him.
‘I can’t stand people who are out of touch. If you don’t want to, just send a period.’
Sa Gongjun: Are you getting by okay?
(11:21 am)
.
He typed a single period. What would Sa Gongjun do if he really sent just a single period? He would probably be incredibly pissed off, right? As he held the phone and stared at it, Park Chankyu leaned his head in.
“I really think you’re seeing someone. Seeing you open the messaging app and typing and deleting makes you look very suspicious.”
Woojung’s eyes widened.
“Looking at his expression, it’s true, it’s true. It’s a good time, a good time in life.”
“No, really.”
“Even if you’re not dating, what is it they call it these days, a ‘ssum’? Aren’t you in the middle of a ssum?”
Woojung shook his head. He shook it slowly and clearly, with sincerity. It seemed like it would only end if he expressed it a bit more firmly.
“Absolutely not.”
“Alright, alright. Don’t get so serious.”
Park Chankyu nudged Woojung with his shoulder.
The phone Woojung was holding lightly slipped. He gripped it tightly. A chilling sensation ran down his spine, and the moment he checked the screen. The world stopped.
.
(11:27 am)
His hand trembled. Before he could even press cancel send, the number 1 next to the speech bubble had disappeared.
Sa Gongjun: Let’s see each other when you arrive.
(11:27 am)
Is this what it feels like for blood to drain from your fingertips. He tried to fix it somehow, leaving messages like, I sent it by mistake, I’m docked in Qingdao, I’ll be back soon. Sa Gongjun did not reply.
Thanks to that, Woojung had to spend the entire meal glancing at his phone, worrying about a person who was not even there.
🌸
On the way back to the cruise, they ran into a traffic jam.
Woojung’s expression as he looked out the window was grave. The gridlocked road seemed as hopeless as his current situation. Seeing that, Seo Dowon grabbed Woojung’s arm and said.
“Don’t worry, we’ll get there on time.”
“Uh, yeah.”
For a moment, Woojung wished the world would just stop like this.
Fortunately or unfortunately, the three of them arrived safely at the cruise and boarded the gangway. The manager in charge of the VIP passenger concierge was walking briskly. As soon as he saw Park Chankyu, he ran over.
“Part Leader Park Chankyu-nim.”
“Oh, Manager Choi-nim. What brings you all the way here?”
“Two of the VIP passengers have not boarded yet. We depart in 15 minutes. I was wondering if you might have seen them outside.”
“…Excuse me?”
The color drained from Park Chankyu’s face, turning ashen like Manager Choi’s. He seemed extremely tense, facing his first indirect issue since being promoted to part leader.
Sensing the unusual atmosphere, Woojung asked Seo Dowon.
“What’s going on?”
“Ah… this is something that happens really rarely. Sometimes, people come back late after going sightseeing at the port of call.”
“Then what happens, do they wait?”
“It depends on the person in charge. Sometimes they wait for about 5 minutes, and other times they depart right on schedule.”
“…The cruise just departs? Then how do the passengers who missed the cruise get here.”
“They have to find their own way to the next port of call, whether by plane or train. In this case, since Qingdao is the last port of call… they’ll have to come to Incheon directly, so the airfare will cost a bit.”
“Can they do that?”
“Yeah, there’s no problem with the procedure. We got our entry stamps at the immigration office earlier, didn’t we? It’s the same as just coming on an overseas trip. Of course, that’s just the usual case….”
Seo Dowon, who was looking far off in the direction of the immigration office, mumbled.
“Sometimes, very rarely, some people just disappear like that.”
Did I hear that right? Woojung slowly turned his head and asked again.
“…Disappear?”
“Yeah. At the ports of call, people only take their passports and light belongings for sightseeing, so they have leftover luggage in their cabins. In those cases, the company stores the luggage for 6 months, but I heard that some people never come back to claim it. Well, it’s just something I heard, so it’s not all accurate.”
Seo Dowon faced Woojung and smiled.
Woojung and Seo Dowon stood side by side, looking down below.
Even when the promised 3 p.m. arrived, the passengers did not appear. In the end, the issue of the unboarded passengers was reported to the higher-ups, and the cruise headed for Incheon Port without two people on board.
Before returning inside, Woojung looked back at the Qingdao pier where the cruise had been docked. There was no one running toward the cruise.
Was it a simple accident, or a planned escape?
Woojung stood still for a while, lost in thought as he watched the cruise terminal recede into the distance like a toy.
…Maybe I could too.
“Woojung!”
At a perfect moment, Seo Dowon called for Woojung. He was bouncing around, wriggling his body even with his padded jacket zipped up to his neck. Then he threw himself into Woojung’s arms.
“It’s so cold. Let’s go down, huh?”
“Ah, alright.”
It seemed he had found an unexpected method in an unexpected place. Woojung’s eyes sparkled as he looked at the receding cruise terminal. It seemed he should be looking for something else, not a new goshiwon.
🌸
In the darkened grand conference room, the HR TF team leader, standing in front of the beam projector, briefed the executives on the proposed HR reorganization plan for the coming year.
“When we terminate the contract with the service company and accept all employees who were working as dispatched staff as regular employees, the company’s financial loss increases by 35.29% compared to the previous year. However, if we convert the value gained from improving the corporate image into a cost….”
The team leader’s gaze shifted to Sa Gongjun, who was sitting in the front. The most important person who should have been interested in this content was staring intently at his cell phone.
The team leader, who would have been sad to be considered second best in briefing skills, did not feel very pleased with the current situation. Will I be torn to shreds and the team disbanded? If that happens, how should I explain it to the team members? While his mouth was spouting the report, his head was filled with other worries.
“This concludes the report.”
“……”
“That is all.”
The HR TF team leader was fidgeting. He looked at Sa Gongjun, who was sitting at the head of the U-shaped table, chin in hand, lost in thought, and pondered what mistake he had made in the briefing he had just finished. In the content he had prepared for a week, not a single syllable was out of place.
The gazes of dozens of executives looked once at the team leader, and once at Sa Gongjun. Among them, Director Sa Jaewoong’s gaze was also mixed in.
“Ahem, hmm.”
Secretary Choi, who was sitting in a chair against the wall behind Sa Gongjun, cleared his throat. Sa Gongjun still had no reaction. He sat still, just staring at his cell phone as if he were in a trance.
Secretary Choi rolled his chair on its wheels and approached Sa Gongjun’s seat. He moved the tablet that had been on his lap to the front of Sa Gongjun’s seat and said quietly.
“Executive Director-nim. Here is the summary of the briefing you requested.”
Had I requested such a thing? Sa Gongjun focused his eyes. On the screen was a summary of the content the team leader had briefed on for 30 minutes. After scanning it with his eyes and asking about a few plans, he concluded the meeting.
In the space where the executives had left, Sa Gongjun and Sa Jaewoong remained. Sa Jaewoong, who had risen from his seat, glanced at Sa Gongjun, who was sitting just one position higher than him, before leaving the conference room with his secretary.
Returning to the executive director’s office, Sa Gongjun leaned back in his chair and looked at the distant view of Seoul below, while listening to Secretary Choi recite the next day’s schedule. Decision-making, meetings, and business plan reviews followed in quick succession.
There was nothing difficult about the company’s work. All he had to do was read the reports that someone from some team had painstakingly written, decide on a direction, and wait for the next step to be prepared. In the meantime, all Sa Gongjun had to do was things like preventing his subordinates from being swept away by the politics of the executives.
Sa Gongjun, his gaze fixed outside the window, kept looking farther away. He raised his head, looked left and right, then fixed his gaze on the western sky where the sun was setting.
Secretary Choi, who was watching him, quickly began the non-work-related briefing.
“Mr. Cheon Woojung will arrive at Incheon Port in two days.”
“Two days? Not today?”
Recently, Sa Gongjun’s time had been flowing strangely. When Cheon Woojung was in the villa, time went by quickly, and when Cheon Woojung was not in the villa, time went by slowly.
“Yes, shall I clear your schedule for that day?”
“Do that.”
So, in just two days, I’ll be able to hear him say, ‘Welcome back,’ while prostrated on the floor again. Sa Gongjun, who was tapping the armrest of the leather chair with his fingertips, spun the chair around.
“Secretary Choi.”
“Yes, Executive Director-nim.”
“What do kids these days like?”
“…Excuse me?”
Secretary Choi, a beta, had one daughter and one son. His children were just now eight and five years old. He was sharp enough to catch that the expression ‘kids’ that Sa Gongjun mentioned was not literally talking about ordinary young children.
However, at the same time, he was still unsure about the meaning of what Sa Gongjun had said. The Sa Gongjun he knew had clear likes and dislikes and was a person who threw out what he wanted in a direct manner. After thinking for a moment, Secretary Choi gave an answer based on the kids who belonged to the same boundary as Sa Gongjun, that is, Sa Jaewoong’s children.
“They tend to like mobile games or console games the most. Though parents would dislike it. In such cases, outdoor sports are sometimes recommended as a substitute….”
“A slightly older kid. He’s graduated from high school.”
“If it is an adult, it is better to consider a wider range. A static type might like watching movies or exhibitions, while a dynamic type might be interested in things like climbing or racing.”
“The latter is absolutely not it.”
Secretary Choi swallowed a sigh and called Sa Gongjun.
“Executive Director-nim. With all due respect, these days, even teenagers often have clearly established likes and dislikes, so there is a limit to guessing like this.”
“It’s fine. It was helpful enough. Was there a place to watch movies in the villa?”
The vague request, which had been like wandering in a fog, became clear, and the game of twenty questions came to an end.
“I recall that you have home theater equipment installed.”
“Contact Butler Kim and tell him to move it next to the second-floor bedroom. And prepare that console game thing as well.”
Sa Gongjun turned his chair again and looked outside. He rarely watched TV at home, so he could not even remember what condition it was in.
“No, it would be better to make a movie theater in the basement. Just put in about four or five seats and make it have a decent atmosphere. How long would it take?”
“I will do my best to have it done within two days.”
Sa Gongjun nodded his head, letting Secretary Choi’s words flow past him. It was not enough to bring him to the villa and lock him up. I have to make him want to stay, so he does not even think about leaving. What else is there. His thoughts continued busily.
“But it wouldn’t be good for his body to be too still, so it would be good to create a place where he can exercise as well. Tell them to inspect the swimming pool in the annex and proceed with remodeling.”
After that, Sa Gongjun ordered a few more things to be prepared, but among them, the words to prepare a new room or add a bed were never added.
🌸
As soon as Woojung returned to the cruise after finishing his port of call sightseeing in Qingdao, he was called by the security team.
In a small room, he sat facing a security team staff member one-on-one and reported his schedule for the day he had attended to the disappeared VIP passengers. Afterwards, without a moment to catch his breath, he went straight to work in the lounge.
Was it because he had wandered around for too long in the winter wind outside? Even after returning to a warm place, the chill that clung to the back of his neck would not go away.
It was only when he sat in the break room to eat dinner that he noticed his cheeks and the back of his neck were hot. Woojung placed his palm on his neck. He had a slight fever. He drank a glass of warm water from the water purifier and worked in the lounge again.
His steps became heavy as he walked down the hallway on his way home from work. He returned to his cabin, took a warm shower, and pulled the covers over himself. His calves, thighs, and even his arms ached all over. He closed his eyes, thinking it might be a cold with body aches.
He really just closed his eyes and opened them, and it was morning. His body was still heavy. His forehead was hotter, and it was even difficult to get out of bed.
He suddenly remembered the time he had spent his first heat cycle alone. He had been sick in bed for several days, thinking it was a cold. After that, he had taken suppressants according to his heat cycle schedule and had forgotten about it, but his current symptoms were just like the symptoms back then.
Woojung turned on his phone and looked at the calendar. There was still over a week left until his cycle was due. Fortunately, the cruise would arrive at Incheon Port in just a couple of hours. He thought he should go back to his goshiwon, drink a suppressant, and rest.
With a pale face, Woojung organized his scattered belongings in the cabin. He also packed the gold medal he had kept in the safe securely in his bag.
The hour of waiting for all the passengers to disembark felt like half a day. Woojung looked at his phone clock again and again. He would think, has the screen frozen, and then a long time would pass before a single minute had gone by.
He lay curled up on the bed and fell asleep as if he had fainted. Woojung woke up to the sound of the in-flight announcement informing the staff that it was their turn to disembark. With every step he took toward the gate, his body felt heavy, as if he were wading through water.
The ambitious thought he had while looking down at the Qingdao cruise terminal had long since shriveled up. His body ached and his head was dizzy, so far from thinking about how to get out of his current situation, he just wanted to go back to his goshiwon and lie down.
He buttoned his coat collar and grabbed the railing at the edge of the deck. As Woojung was huddled over, Seo Dowon and Park Chankyu approached him.
“You both worked hard, Woojung and Dowon. Rest well and see you on the next voyage.”
“Yes, Part Leader-nim. See you next week.”
Seo Dowon bowed his waist playfully. Woojung, who was next to him, bent his waist in the same way. Park Chankyu said, alright, and roughly ruffled Woojung and Seo Dowon’s hair with both hands.
Woojung swayed on his feet. Seo Dowon, who was next to him, reflexively reached out his arm to support Woojung. Seen up close, Woojung’s face was not just white, but deathly pale.
“Why is your face like this.”
Seo Dowon grabbed Woojung’s shoulders with both hands to steady him. The weather was cold, but cold sweat had formed on his forehead. He checked the temperature of Woojung’s forehead with the back of his hand. During that time, Park Chankyu took the bag that was as thick as Woojung’s body and examined his complexion.
“You have a fever. Since when have you been like this?”
“Uh, yesterday.”
“You should have said something if you were sick. What are you doing like this by yourself. There’s a medical office for staff on the cruise, and there’s a hospital too.”
Wouldn’t I have to pay a medical fee if I got help from the medical office, and wouldn’t it be more expensive if I went to a hospital on the high seas because insurance wouldn’t cover it. Honestly, those thoughts came to Woojung first.
“Go to the hospital as soon as you get off.”
“I’ll go to the hospital after I get home.”
Seo Dowon glared at Woojung several times.
“…It’s true. I’m not feeling well, so I want to rest a bit.”
“Alright. But at least come down to the shuttle bus stop with me. I’ll take you there. That’s okay, right?”
“Yeah.”
Park Chankyu, who was following with Woojung’s bag, looked at Woojung with concern.
“What shuttle bus when you’re sick. Just let hyung give you a ride.”
It’s okay, hyung, Woojung’s faint smile faltered and his steps came to a halt.
Incheon Port, the shape of the car parked in front of the meeting plaza was familiar. The driver getting out of the driver’s seat and opening the back door was also familiar.
The person who was in the back seat extended a leg through the open door. The shiny toe of his shoe, the trousers that fell as if they were tailored, were familiar to the eye. A scent poured out of the car like a flood. There was no need to look more closely. Woojung knew well the alpha who had this kind of scent.
“Uh….”
Woojung was genuinely surprised. He had never told him what time he would arrive, nor had he even mentioned which terminal he would be coming out of. How on earth did Sa Gongjun know and find him?
“One omega and two alphas.”
The closer Sa Gongjun came, the thicker the pheromones he emitted became. The moment he breathed in that scent, his fingertips pulsed hotly. The voices of Park Chankyu and Seo Dowon next to him faded into the distance.
Even Woojung, who had never spent a heat cycle with an alpha, could instinctively tell that his current slight fever was not because of a cold.
“Am I the third one? …This feels fucking shitty, goddammit.”
Sa Gongjun took a deep drag of the cigarette he had between his fingers. He irritably stubbed out the cigarette on the ground and approached Woojung. Then, he stood exactly in front of Woojung and said.
“Hand him over.”
Woojung was pulled by the hand that grabbed his arm and ended up bumping his forehead against Sa Gongjun’s shoulder. When he looked up, Sa Gongjun was looking down at Woojung with a displeased expression.
An omega approaching his heat cycle keenly sensed an alpha’s pheromones. Sa Gongjun looked ready to unreservedly reveal his violent pheromones, with the momentum to mount just about anyone passing by.
Woojung shook his head from side to side.
Sa Gongjun’s head tilted askew and his mouth closed tightly. His expression crumpled with displeasure.
Without a moment to catch his breath, Woojung’s world turned upside down. It was because Sa Gongjun had bent down under Woojung’s arm and hoisted him over his shoulder.
“Hwa, ack!”
Woojung, hanging upside down, grabbed Sa Gongjun’s shoulder and back haphazardly to keep from falling. Whether it was because blood rushed to his face, or because he was embarrassed to be carried over the shoulder like a child at his age, Woojung’s face instantly turned red. His stomach, pressed against the hard shoulder, hurt, and his words came out in broken pieces.
“E-Executive Director-nim.”
“Shut your mouth.”
“Put me, down, please. I’ll walk.”
Sa Gongjun wrapped one arm around Woojung’s thigh. He then swatted his bottom repeatedly. It made the sound of dusting off winter clothes. Woojung rubbed his stinging bottom with a clenched fist.
“Follow me quietly before I carry you with your ass bared.”
Woojung tightly gripped the hem of his coat with one hand. When he tried to turn his head to check the expressions of Park Chankyu and Seo Dowon, Sa Gongjun poured his pheromones on Woojung.
“Hut….”
Sa Gongjun pulled Woojung, who had been slung over his shoulder, to his chest and held him. He covered and pressed Woojung’s eyes with his palm. Thanks to that, Woojung had no choice but to get into the car without even making eye contact with Seo Dowon and Park Chankyu.
When he came to his senses, he was alone in the back seat. He blinked his eyes, then crawled back outside. Then, Woojung’s eyes met Sa Gongjun’s, who was leaning over from outside and looking in.
“Get in.”
“I was going to get my bag….”
Sa Gongjun’s hand, which was holding the edge of the door, tensed up. With a long sigh, Sa Gongjun gestured to the driver with his eyes and got into the car.
Thud, thud. The trunk closed and the car’s back door also closed.
Seo Dowon and Park Chankyu, with wide eyes, pressed themselves against the window. Sa Gongjun’s driver acted as if he did not see the two of them following and drove off.
Woojung stared blankly at Sa Gongjun, who was sitting next to him in the back seat. He had his elbow on the armrest and was tapping his temple, silent.
The cell phone in his coat pocket vibrated. He declined the call twice. Then, a flood of text messages poured in. After hesitating, Woojung thought it would be okay to just send a message, and took out his phone. The screen was flooded with question marks sent by Seo Dowon.
Seo Dowon: who is that guy
Seo Dowon: you’re not being dragged away somewhere, are you? (1:41 pm)
I’m fine, he’s someone I know
(1:41 pm)
Seo Dowon: what kind of acquaintance drags a person away like that?
(1:41 pm)
Woojung could not reply right away.
Seo Dowon: …are you really okay?
Seo Dowon: if anything happens, tell me so I can report it
(1:42 pm)
Report him. That was absolutely out of the question. If he did that, Sa Gongjun might come charging, saying he would bury Seo Dowon too. Woojung’s hands moved busily. As his fingers got busier, his brow also furrowed.
no, thanks for worrying about me. tell hyung I’m sorry I left without saying goodbye
(1:42 pm)
Woojung sent a big smiling emoticon along with it.
Seo Dowon: alright, this is really unsettling. get home safe and see you next time
(1:42 pm)
“Who are you contacting like that.”
Woojung was startled and turned to his side. At the same time, he pressed the power button on his phone, making the screen go black.
“…J-just.”
Woojung was on pins and needles, worried that Park Chankyu and Seo Dowon might get into trouble. Still, he could not lie. Had he not seen up close, more than anyone, the fate of Manager Park Jiseung who had deceived Sa Gongjun? Woojung spoke as calmly as possible.
“Staff members I work with on the cruise.”
“The two people from a moment ago?”
“…Yes.”
“You sent me just a period. But you have so much to say to the staff members?”
Sa Gongjun stared at Woojung. His unwavering gaze was confident.
Woojung flinched his shoulders and averted his gaze. It seemed Sa Gongjun was still not over his anger after seeing the message with just a period. If he was going to be passive-aggressive like this, he should not have spoken so magnanimously in the first place.
Woojung was still scared of him, but he felt that if he stayed quiet like this, he would be the only one at fault, so he mustered up his courage and moved his lips.
“That was a mistake….”
Was it because he was showing signs of difficulty? Fortunately, Sa Gongjun did not rush to break his fingers, nor did he demand his phone. Woojung, who had swallowed a dry gulp, added just one more thing.
“And I sent more messages after that. But you didn’t reply either, Executive Director-nim.”
One of Sa Gongjun’s eyebrows shot up.
“Were you waiting for my message?”
“…A little?”
Now that he said it, it seemed like it could sound strange.
“Ah, I mean, it’s not that I was waiting for that kind of message.”
Let’s leave it at that, Sa Gongjun muttered, as he squeezed and released Woojung’s cheek.
“Hurts, it hurts.”
His pronunciation was all garbled. It was no use even if he spoke. In the end, Woojung chose to stay still in his seat, frozen, and let him knead him as he pleased.
“What did they send.”
Is he asking about the content of the last message I sent to Sa Gongjun? Woojung felt his cheeks grow hot and tingly as he mumbled with inaccurate pronunciation.
“I said I sent it by mistake, that I was docked in Qingdao. Should I show you again?”
“Not that. I’m asking what those staff members sent to Mr. Cheon Woojung just now.”
Sa Gongjun’s chin pointed toward Woojung’s phone.
“Uh…. Just to get home safe and see you again. That’s all.”
Fingers that slipped through the thick winter clothes traced his neckline and gently scratched the hollow part below his ear. Woojung, who was quietly receiving the touch, eventually could not stand it and flinched his shoulder to one side.