MIM 65

Wolyeong Lake is a large artificial lake in the heart of the busy district, and it’s one of the city’s attractions that draws many visitors each year. Located in the most expensive prime real estate area, the vicinity of Wolyeong Lake was lined with iconic buildings and companies, making it especially famous for its night views.

He had heard of it and knew about it, but he never imagined that he would visit this place, which was most popular in the summer evenings, with Shin-woo.

In the moving car, Jae-seung looked up the lake’s depth. About 5 meters, quite deep. Deep enough to drown in. If someone wanted to kill by drowning, wouldn’t they choose a river over a lake? Jae-seung glanced sideways at Shin-woo, who was holding the steering wheel. He was wearing clothes Jae-seung had never seen before. He wondered when Shin-woo had gone shopping.

Gray basic pants, black shoes, and a clean-designed linen shirt. The white shirt with its neat design wrapped nicely around Shin-woo’s tall upper body, and the pants suited his long, slim legs well. Maybe it was because the shirt was a warm color, or perhaps he was in a good mood about going out, but the guy’s expression looked unusually soft in his new clothes.

It felt strange because he seemed deliberately dressed up. If he’d worn a full suit, it wouldn’t have been different from his usual work attire and would have been fine, but these were exactly the kind of casual clothes he’d wear when dressing up to go out, so Jae-seung couldn’t help but be conscious of it. It felt even more so since he had also changed clothes before coming out.

That might be why he had unknowingly sat in the passenger seat instead of the back seat. Jae-seung looked out at the road outside with a nonchalant expression. His heart fluttered as he watched the crowded cars and flickering night scenery. Around this time, the mansion would be deathly quiet. Unless the lights were deliberately turned on, they were only dimly lit. Having lived thinking that was normal, seeing these vibrant streets made him feel like he could breathe easier.

The world had been this vast all along.

It was ironic. This guy was the one who was showing him this scenery, and he was also the one who was controlling his surroundings. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that everything he knew about the world was only what that guy had shown him. While lost in these thoughts, Jae-seung raised his eyes when he detected strange movement beyond the car window. There was someone driving terribly in the next lane.

Though they had been driving properly following signals, for some unknown reason, a man in a black sedan lowered his window and started making threatening gestures. When Shin-woo ignored him, he started yelling at them to pull over to the shoulder while throwing coins. The coins made sharp clicking sounds as they scratched the black hood. It seemed like he carried coins specifically for this purpose.

“Ignore it. I’ll take care of the repairs.”

Jae-seung muttered while resting his head deeply against the seat. Lately, the news had been full of stories about these thugs being a social problem. Apparently, driving an expensive car increased your chances of getting into these confrontations. The perpetrators were consistently young men from middle-class families, and many interpreted it as them venting their social frustrations this way. They were looking for targets they could bully while settling things with money.

There’s nothing to gain from dealing with such guys except a pile of news articles. Though it seemed like they would let it go, this time the black sedan started retaliatory driving. It changed lanes to block their path, deliberately slowed down, and suddenly hit the brakes, very enthusiastically obstructing their way. When Shin-woo stayed patient once and moved to another lane, the black sedan followed and blocked them again.

Jae-seung closed his mouth when he saw the guy’s jaw muscle twitch. He’s been quite patient up to this point. Sure enough, Shin-woo soon turned on his blinker and slowly pulled over to the shoulder.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

“Why bother with trash like that.”

“I’ll be right back.”

“…Alright.”

When Jae-seung nodded casually, Shin-woo opened the door and got out. As he watched the situation carefully, soon a large man got out of the sedan parked in front. Then he immediately started making threatening gestures and yelling at Shin-woo. He seemed emboldened because Shin-woo looked smaller than him, but there was bound to be a difference between muscles built with gym equipment and muscles trained for survival. He probably hadn’t recognized who Shin-woo was yet, but he was about to get a beating. Jae-seung had seen Shin-woo beat people up so many times that the scene about to unfold was vividly clear in his mind.

Just then, the sedan’s back doors opened and several men who appeared to be part of the same group piled out. As they quickly surrounded Shin-woo, Jae-seung, who had been sitting back relaxedly, frowned and adjusted his posture. As if they had come prepared, two of the four men carried clubs and pipes. His body grew increasingly tense as he tried to keep track of Shin-woo’s head, which was partially obscured by the large man.

Even if there were several of them, there was no way Shin-woo would lose. He had been unfazed even when several guys from the hockey team had ganged up on him. How could this guy not be able to handle four thugs like these? Jae-seung knew it in his head, but his body was reacting on its own, tensing up. It was a scene he had seen somewhere before. The smell of blood seemed to permeate his nostrils.

Someone rushed at Shin-woo and slapped his face. The moment he witnessed Shin-woo staggering as he regained his balance, Jae-seung was already leaping out of the car before he even realized it. He charged like a bull toward the waist of the first person he saw.

“Argh!”

The two guys caught by Jae-seung’s arms and body fell like bowling pins. Jae-seung immediately changed direction and, with unbelievable speed, grabbed the large man’s collar. Then he slammed him onto the sedan’s trunk with all his might. Bang! As the car crumpled, Jae-seung raised his head. Only one man remained, who had collapsed pale-faced. After confirming this with his eyes, Jae-seung strode over and wrenched the pipe from the man’s hand.

“Hii… What, what is that thing?”

The man looked up at Jae-seung with dazed eyes as if he were seeing a monster, then crawled on all fours and frantically climbed into the driver’s seat. Then he started the engine and fled alone, abandoning his friends.

His heartbeat pounded in his ears. Jae-seung exhaled deeply and straightened up. Shin-woo, who had been blankly watching the silver hair scattered against the night sky, furrowed his brow. Jae-seung couldn’t read the complex emotions that stained his face.

Had he done something unnecessary? He came to his senses only after looking at Shin-woo belatedly. There will be news articles tomorrow too. Jae-seung carelessly shook his too-noticeable hair and strode over to stand by Shin-woo.

“Didn’t I say we should just go?”

“…”

“It’s cowardly. So many against one.”

Shin-woo’s eyes widened at these awkwardly offered words. His face was slightly flushed, perhaps from being hit. Though he’d only been hit once, he seemed strangely greatly affected.

Was he surprised to see me move? Come to think of it, even he himself was surprised by how fast his reaction speed was. Jae-seung smiled firmly while clenching and unclenching his fist. His body moved incomparably better than at the beginning of the year. Feeling Shin-woo’s gaze following him, he felt unnecessarily proud.

There were now many eyes watching them. Assessing the situation, Shin-woo quickly moved and gestured.

“Let’s go quickly. The police will come at this rate. And the boat operation hours are almost over.”

“Give me your business card.”

Shin-woo let out a deflated laugh at Jae-seung’s request. When he pulled a card from his wallet and handed it over, Jae-seung tucked it into the back pocket of the unconscious man.

As soon as they returned to the passenger seat, Shin-woo quickly started the engine. He stepped on the accelerator, leaving police sirens behind. His heart pounded in his throat as if they were fleeing after committing a serious crime. Jae-seung lowered the window and faced the rushing wind.

Seeing this, Shin-woo laughed softly. Finally in the mood to talk, Jae-seung opened his mouth.

“What did you talk about with mother today?”

“I told you earlier, we didn’t talk about anything special.”

“How can that be?”

“You won’t believe what I say anyway, so just ask your mother.”

Even if he asked, she would probably say she was just curious about his recent activities. Was he supposed to believe that insincere nonsense? Jae-seung snorted and muttered to himself.

“Do you all think I’m stupid?”

“…”

“As if mother would be curious about my situation.”

After that, Shin-woo closed his mouth and focused on driving.

Before long, they arrived at Wolyeong Lake. The parking lot was nearly full as it was peak season, but Shin-woo, like a nocturnal animal, quietly darted his eyes around and skillfully parked the car in a spot he quickly found.

Then he suddenly grabbed Jae-seung’s wrist as he was unfastening his seatbelt, turning it over to examine it. His warm thumb traced along the blue veins visible on the wrist, stopping where the pulse could be felt. Whether from his body heat or not, it felt hot as the warmth spread.

Was this a death threat or seduction? In any case, it was clear that Shin-woo was acting strange today. Jae-seung coldly pulled his hand away and warned him.

“If you’re thinking of seducing me into marriage, you’d better stop. I plan to have a grand wedding ceremony later, with true love and everyone’s blessings.”