LM 104

“Is it that good?”

Woo Hyunse threw those words at Joo Shindo’s back as he turned away. He glanced back. In his reddish eyes, there was no interest or curiosity about others, nor the slightest hint of warmth that a person should have. Joo Shindo wore only the mask of a human—if you peeled back his skin, inside would reveal a thousand-year-old serpent.

“You mean, should I lie on my back like a dog if it’s what you want, young master?”

“…”

Joo Shindo stared intently at Woo Hyunse. It was as if he was trying to see through his inner thoughts. Woo Hyunse stared back calmly. After a long gaze, Joo Shindo smirked and pointed at him.

“I didn’t take you for that type, Mr. Woo. You lack romance.”

It wasn’t something he should hear from Joo Shindo of all people. Nevertheless, Woo Hyunse smiled back. It was the kind of smile one would typically give when the comment just said hit right on the mark.

As Joo Shindo was about to leave the room, he turned his head as if something had just occurred to him, saying “Ah.” With his hands deep in his pockets, he casually remarked, “Mr. Woo, I hear your cousin is going to study aboard soon.”

The only cousin Joo Shindo could be referring to was Woo Taeju. That cheeky guy called Joo Shindo “hyung” obsequiously despite having met him only a few times. As if the vicious scar on the bridge of his nose wasn’t even there.

“Yeah.”

“Is that why he was partying in a room?”

“Whatever.” Uninterested in such topics, Woo Hyunse waved his hand as if to shoo Joo Shindo away. Joo Shindo’s eyes crinkled prettily. His teeth, visible between his lips, were infuriatingly even.

“The boy upstairs seemed to be having fun too.”

Woo Hyunse, who had been nonchalantly taking out a cigarette to put in his mouth, jerked his head up. His eyes, as he looked at Joo Shindo, were filled with a chilling light. As he stood up abruptly, trying to grab Joo Shindo’s collar, Joo Shindo swiftly knocked away the approaching hand with a loud slap.

“Why is Kwon Siyul here?”

The back of his hand quickly turned red. Ignoring it, Woo Hyunse bared his teeth. His aura was menacing enough to kill someone.

“The kid should have some fun too, shouldn’t he?”

“Get out of my way.”

He pushed past Joo Shindo’s shoulder and left the room. He heard sneering remarks from behind about old men not meddling in young people’s affairs and maintaining dignity, but he ignored them. He strode across the dim corridor with long steps.

As he descended the stairs, he saw a room full of familiar faces. But through the transparent glass wall, he could only see Kwon Siyul among all the others.

He was smiling with his eyes curved like crescent moons, as if something was so amusing. He was sitting next to Woo Taeju, with the other man’s arm draped over his shoulder.

“…”

For a moment, he couldn’t hear anything. His vision went black, then returned after a blink. His feet were already moving. It felt as if someone was violently pushing him from behind. It seemed like a voice was whispering to him to rush in and cut off that arm on his shoulder right away.

Woo Hyunse headed toward the room, as the voice urged him on. When he flung the door open, all eyes turned to him at once. Including Kwon Siyul’s. He opened his eyes wide, as if he hadn’t expected to see him here.

Woo Taeju, sitting next to him, also noticed Woo Hyunse and started to get up awkwardly. No sooner had he called out “Woo Hyunse hyung” than Woo Hyunse strode over, grabbed the back of his head with a strong grip, and slammed it down onto the table. With a thud, thick bones and tendons stood out on the hand pressing down on Woo Taeju’s head.

“Didn’t I tell you not to covet what belongs to others?”

As violence was suddenly added to the unexpected situation, people around stood up in a fluster. However, no one dared to stop Woo Hyunse. A murderous intent that seemed sharp enough to cut at the slightest touch was pouring out from Woo Hyunse’s entire body. Everyone was afraid that the menacing blade might turn toward them instead of Woo Taeju.

“Hyung, please…your hand…!”

Woo Taeju managed to utter, his cheek pressed against the table. Instead of replying, Woo Hyunse lifted his head. With a shriek, he was about to slam it down once more.

“Stop it!”

A white hand grabbed Woo Hyunse’s wrist. Glancing down, he saw Kwon Siyul looking up with a face as pale as a sheet of paper. Unable to withstand the overwhelming energy, his complexion was sickly as if he might throw up at any given moment. The hand holding onto Woo Hyunse was trembling slightly.

“Stop it, hyung! You’ll really kill him if you continue like this.”

“…”

“Let go of this hand…”

Woo Hyunse just stared blankly at Kwon Siyul. It seemed like he’d calm down after just three more hits, but he was told to stop after only one. The eyes looking up at him were desperate. He was sincerely trying to stop him.

That displeased him even more. It wasn’t for his own sake. The other man was trembling with fear, yet he grabbed Woo Hyunse’s arm just to save Woo Taeju.

Woo Hyunse’s grip tightened sharply. Woo Taeju, with his neck bent backward, gritted his teeth tightly in pain with a groan. If he struck now, Woo Taeju would spend at least a few weeks quietly in the hospital.

“Please…!”

Kwon Siyul clutched Woo Hyunse’s clothes with both hands. Tears welled up under his eyes. His scent also wafted over. The wisteria flower scent was precarious as if it might disappear at any moment.

“…”

He wanted to kill him, but he wasn’t stupid enough to commit murder in a place with so many witnesses. He had only planned to beat him moderately and hospitalize him.

Clicking his tongue, Woo Hyunse released his grip. Leaving Woo Taeju coughing and sputtering, he proceeded to straighten his disheveled shirt sleeves. Even after the situation began to recover itself and someone hurriedly attended to Woo Taeju, Woo Hyunse kept his eyes only on Kwon Siyul.

“Shall we talk?”

“…Outside. Let’s talk outside.”

Kwon Siyul answered, clenching his fists as he squeezed out those words. Since Kwon Siyul was willing to leave this place of his own accord, there was no need to rough up Woo Taeju anymore.

Woo Hyunse led the way, opening the door. Only after letting Kwon Siyul out did Woo Hyunse leave the place.

Kwon Siyul stopped in his tracks as they entered a deserted back alley. Woo Hyunse barely resisted the urge to light a cigarette. Facing Kwon Siyul’s clear face, something dark welled up inside him. He felt indescribably frustrated at the moment.

Why wasn’t he by his side, yet sat so close to Woo Taeju, smiling so innocently just now?

He shouldn’t have let Woo Taeju off that easily. He should have broken at least one part of him to keep him out of his and Kwon Siyul’s sight for a few months. Or isolate him from the world by declaring him incompetent.

…Or keep him from ever seeing Kwon Siyul again.

“What do you want to say?”

Kwon Siyul asked boldly. Woo Hyunse bit his lip instead of smoking and ran his hand through his hair. His overgrown hair fell back onto his forehead, rendering the gesture futile.

If he could fill his lungs with smoke, his nerves might calm down a little. The image of Kwon Siyul smiling with Woo Taeju’s arm around his shoulder lingered before his eyes right then.

“Is this why you left?”

Kwon Siyul seemed not to understand. Woo Hyunse silently cursed. He didn’t want to show such a disheveled appearance in front of Kwon Siyul if he could help it. Although he knew rationally that the other man was much younger than him, he could no longer pretend to be calm and composed.

Ever since Kwon Siyul left, he had lost control. He couldn’t wear a mask like before, couldn’t stop the words from spilling out, and would throw punches without hesitation given the chance. He had asked himself countless times why he was like this, but the conclusion was always the same. Kwon Siyul was the problem.

The day he left and abandoned him, Kwon Siyul had stolen something from inside him as well.

“I’m asking if Woo Taeju is Kwon Siyul’s new partner.”

He explained kindly. Kwon Siyul pressed his lips tightly. He glared daggers at Woo Hyunse before sharply turning his head away. His scent disappeared again. Trying to suppress it was useless. Kwon Siyul erasing his scent in front of him was like pushing a button.

“In front of me.”

He took a step closer. Kwon Siyul retreated, seeing this. The distance between them was already plenty far.

He wanted him to move even further away from here. He wanted to grab his shoulders. Wondering if he would break the bones if he grabbed them, Woo Hyunse dug his nails into his palm.

“Don’t hide your scent.”

He emitted a spring-like scent to others, yet in front of Woo Hyunse, he hid his scent as if dealing with a perfect stranger. He couldn’t understand it. He didn’t want to understand it.

He wished Kwon Siyul would return to his former self. He wanted him to smile with his long eyes curved whenever he saw him, like a flower bud bursting open. He should have emitted a much sweeter wisteria flower scent from his nape, wrists, and behind his ears specifically just for him. That was the minimum courtesy Kwon Siyul should show him.

“You can do that much, can’t you?”

Even if the relationship was over.

He couldn’t bring himself to add the words that followed in his mind. Instead of opening his mouth, Woo Hyunse swept his hand across his face. He deliberately erased all traces of it, not wanting to unleash his unstably fluctuating scent.