LM 61

He managed to return the ball that barely made it over the net. He needed to quickly regain his stance, but the tall player on the other side of the court lightly jumped into the air and smashed the small ball directly onto the ground across the court. Woo Taeju quickly leaped, but found himself unable to handle the speed of the incoming ball. Without even time to straighten his knees, he only managed to stretch out his arms before losing balance and falling flat on the court.

With a cry of frustration, Woo Taeju tossed aside his racket and sprawled out on the ground. Strength was one thing, but to have such jumping ability with that massive body was totally unfair. Even elephants humbly walk the earth under the law of gravity, but this guy…

“Hyung, are you secretly taking some kind of health tonic?

“Wow,” Woo Taeju exclaimed, sticking out his tongue. Despite being older, that man never seemed to grow tired no matter what sport they played. He had mentioned being in rut recently—did he conserve his energy then? How could his stamina be so monstrous? He seemed to be flying around even more than before.

“You’re just weak,” Woo Hyunse said, lifting the hem of his shirt to wipe the sweat off his face. Woo Taeju marveled once again at the exposed abs and firm chest. It was obvious the tightly-knit muscles weren’t just for show, but clearly functional.

Well, it was only recently that Woo Hyunse had started playing golf or tennis with him. In the past, he wouldn’t give Woo Taeju the time of day when asked to play. Back in their school uniform days, Woo Hyunse had been obsessed with unfamiliar martial arts like boxing and Krav Maga.

When was it? While he was still in high school, Woo Taeju had once dropped by Woo Hyunse’s office. He couldn’t remember why he went, but the image of Woo Hyunse that day was still vivid in his memory.

Despite the cold winter day, Woo Hyunse wore only a thin dress shirt. Even that was disheveled. The top three buttons were undone, and the cuffs and collar were a wrinkled mess. 

But what stood out most were Woo Hyunse’s bruised knuckles and the dark red stains scattered on his shirt. Alarmed and thinking he was hurt, Woo Taeju had rushed over to ask how he got injured. Woo Hyunse said the blood wasn’t his. When Woo Taeju jokingly asked if he’d been butchering pigs, Woo Hyunse merely smiled as he always did.

“I did just come from a farm. How did you know?”

Woo Hyunse had replied enigmatically as he changed into a spare shirt from the coat rack. But at the time, Woo Taeju had thought that he was just playing along with the joke.

Later, when he was old enough to legally drink, Woo Taeju had casually asked Woo Hyunse about that incident from the past. Where had he gotten so bloody? Woo Hyunse seemed to have forgotten at first, furrowing his brow as he tried to remember. Then with an “Ah,” he smiled the same way he had back then. Despite the benign smile, Woo Taeju felt a chill run up and down his spine as he recalled the image of Woo Hyunse covered in  bloodstains.

“Things were a bit rough when I was just getting established.”

Woo Hyunse had laughed it off as youthful recklessness. Woo Taeju wanted to ask what kind of work involved throwing punches like that, if he was some kind of gangster, but Woo Hyunse kept pushing him to drink more and he never got the chance to ask again.

Even now, Woo Taeju had no idea exactly what Woo Hyunse did for work. He only knew superficially that he was a wealthy businessman who owned several clubs, bars, and successful restaurants.

“Still sprawled out there?”

Woo Hyunse had crossed the court and was now nudging Woo Taeju’s shoulder with his foot. When Woo Taeju whined and reached out his arms to be helped up like a child to his father, he only received a contemptuous look. Grumbling all the while, Woo Taeju got up on his own.

“That’s cold. When your cute little brother asks for help, you could at least offer a hand.”

“A grown man actually acts so disgustingly.”

Woo Taeju made a whining sound and shook his chest. Though not as impressive as Woo Hyunse’s, his chest muscles were nicely defined from working out. He puffed out his chest like a preening bird and swayed side to side. Woo Hyunse looked revolted, visibly shuddering. 

Knowing he’d be risking a punch to the head if he teased any further, Woo Taeju grinned and took a step back. Knowing when to push and when to retreat was absolutely key to a smooth life.

All that running around had left them drenched in sweat despite the winter cold air. Not wanting to leave feeling grimy, they stopped by the sauna in the building’s basement first. Woo Taeju succeeded in dragging Woo Hyunse along by clinging to his waist when he tried to get away first. After all, the sauna wasn’t a place to go alone.

They sweated out the last of their perspiration in the hot room before heading out to shower. Luckily, the shower room was empty, so Woo Taeju hummed as he chose a spot. Woo Hyunse entered the room a moment later.

“Eeing…” Woo Taeju let out a perverse exclamation as he looked Woo Hyunse up and down. Beyond his proportions, something else caught Woo Taeju’s eye. “Penis” was too cute a term—”weapon” would be more fitting. It was the kind of size and girth you’d expect to see in Western porn. And that was just flaccid—when erect…Though he didn’t want to imagine it, the thought came unbidden and Woo Taeju made a retching sound.

“Are all dominant Alphas this big?”

“What?”

Woo Hyunse turned on the shower in the stall one over. Woo Taeju tilted his hips back and gestured with his chin toward Woo Hyunse’s lower region. Woo Hyunse followed his gaze downward, then turned away in a disinterested manner.

“You’re human but carrying a weapon. You should definitely get a ring or something for that.”

“It gets all the way in just fine without one.”

“Is that person okay? Still alive?”

“They do struggle a bit during.”

Woo Taeju booed. Woo Hyunse remained nonchalant, saying he was simply stating facts. Sensing it wasn’t an appropriate topic to pursue any further, Woo Taeju fell silent before changing the subject.

“Hyung, can you recommend a good place for health tonics?”

“Why? For yourself?”

“No, for that person I mentioned before.”

Kwon Siyul had returned to work noticeably thinner after being absent for days. He said he’d had the flu. He hadn’t responded to texts or calls—apparently, he’d been too sick. Though his glossy hair and fair skin still looked lovely, overall he seemed more frail. 

This got Woo Taeju a little worried. Kwon Siyul was already weak, barely able to throw out a trash bag, and now he’d lost weight on top of that. Woo Taeju couldn’t help but be concerned.

Kwon Siyul refused invitations for meat or health food, so the only option left was to give him tonics as a gift. Hopefully, he’d take the gifts out of appreciation for the gesture.

“Didn’t you whine about being rejected before?”

“I wasn’t whining! And it was just one rejection.”

Woo Taeju had clung to Woo Hyunse asking for drinks after Kwon Siyul’s firm refusal. He’d threatened to barge into Woo Hyunse’s home if he didn’t come out, and they had ended up drinking all night. Woo Taeju had blacked out after drinking to the point where he couldn’t tell if he was drinking the alcohol or vice versa. Still, Woo Hyunse hadn’t abandoned him on the street but taken him home.

“It seems hopeless. Why don’t you give up? Didn’t he say he likes someone else?”

How cold, acting like it was none of his business. But Woo Taeju wasn’t deterred. His motto was that no tree stays standing after being struck ten times. Even if Kwon Siyul had feelings for someone, couldn’t Woo Taeju just push them aside and take that place himself? It wasn’t like he hadn’t stolen someone’s partner before. With that successful experience, Woo Taeju was confident things would work out his way.

“I don’t want to give up. My feelings won’t disappear easily either.”

“You like him that much?”

“The more I see him, the more I like him. Even in regard to how he’s been putting up walls since that day.”

Though Kwon Siyul claimed not to care about others’ views, he wasn’t completely oblivious. Woo Taeju knew Kwon Siyul had been distancing himself since his clumsy confession. But he didn’t mind. He’d stick to the role of friend and slowly expand his territory. Until the day Kwon Siyul would wonder where he was if he wasn’t around.

“I wish he’d like me back. I could treat him so well.”

As Woo Taeju was talking enthusiastically, the sound of water suddenly stopped. Had Woo Hyunse finished showering already? When Woo Taeju looked over quizzically, Woo Hyunse was calmly crossing the shower room, drying his hair with the towel that had been hanging on the partition.

“I’ll leave you behind if you’re late coming out.”

“Ah, hyung!”

Distracted by his own talking, Woo Taeju hadn’t even washed his hair yet. Knowing Woo Hyunse was a man of his word, Woo Taeju frantically poured shampoo on his head and scrubbed, not wanting to be left behind. He had originally thought Woo Hyunse was kind for taking him home when drunk, but as it turned out, Woo Hyunse really was cold and heartless after all.

* * *

Kwon Siyul awkwardly rubbed his cheek in front of the mirror in the changing room. Lately, it seemed he had good fortune with food, as it kept coming from all directions. He already felt like he’d practically burst from all the food Woo Hyunse was feeding him, and now there was a parade of things to eat at work too.

The chef, saying Kwon Siyul’s jawline looked too sharp from losing too much weight, kept serving him fried and stir-fried dishes. If he leaned against the bar for a moment, the bartender would silently walk up to him and pop a snack into his mouth. Even Manager Kang had taken to secretly slip jellies into Kwon Siyul’s pocket before disappearing.

Do I really look that pitiful?

Thanks to Woo Hyunse’s attentive care, Kwon Siyul had only gained weight, and not lost any. Yet everyone kept trying to feed him. While he appreciated the sentiment, it was also getting to be rather burdensome.