TIN 50

It was a chilling statement that sent shivers up and down my spine. I couldn’t even make excuses, saying I wasn’t relieved or that it wasn’t like that in the first place.

“Usually by this point, people are desperate to get on my good side.”

His languid eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. It was a subtle change, but just enough to feel intimidating.

“They flatter, cling, and do all sorts of crazy things…”

“…”

“But why don’t you do that?”

He tilted his head slightly as if he truly didn’t understand. His piercing gaze couldn’t have been more unsettling.

“Are you afraid of me?”

It was a sharp question that hit the mark, and it made me feel newly dismayed. I had told myself that I shouldn’t show any signs of fearing him in order to imitate the ‘hyung’ Joo Do-hwa wanted, but at some point, I had forgotten that fact.

Of course, that didn’t mean I wasn’t resentful.

“…You do things that make people afraid, you know.”

The reason I felt these emotions was largely because of Joo Do-hwa’s actions. After scaring, threatening, and even forcing things into my mouth, wasn’t it contradictory to tell me not to be afraid?

“Me?”

Joo Do-hwa asked back with a face that seemed genuinely confused. As if the money he had scattered around the room right now had nothing to do with it.

“Because I choked you?”

“…”

I had no words to reply. He even added, as if turning the tables, “I said I was sorry, didn’t I?”

Shameless bastard. I swallowed the curse words that were about to come out reflexively. This was one of those things that couldn’t be fixed with just an apology. No, did he even really understand that it wasn’t just a matter of apologizing? From the start, the fact that he thought that was the problem all along left me speechless.

“I’ve been so good to you, and you’re scared over something like this?”

Now there was no trace of a smile on Joo Do-hwa’s face. His cold, expressionless face looked somewhat frustrated, even wronged. But it was I who felt bewildered by his appearance.

“…What did I do wrong to you?”

Listening to this nonsense was getting out of hand. Something had been off today, no, since yesterday. He had never been a calm person, but I felt he was acting excessively emotional right then.

“I did everything you told me to. So why are you angry?”

There should be a limit to venting frustration. I had pretended to be his brother and deceived Kei, and I had willingly handed over the business card I received from him to Joo Do-hwa. I had firmly refused when asked if I would run away, and I had even obediently sucked as he told me to. But now he was stubbornly insisting on the nonsensical question of why I was afraid of him.

“…”

For a while, Joo Do-hwa didn’t say another word. His eyes, shimmering with an indecipherable emotion, gradually became eerily moist. Soon, he opened his mouth in a voice as small as a breath.

“That’s right. You did everything I told you to…”

“…”

“So why do I keep getting irritated?”

His half-lidded eyes stared at me without wavering. Without any intention of softening his expression, he abruptly asked, “Are you that worried about Kei?”

“…”

“Enough to make such an expression despite being scared?”

What expression was I making? And whatever it was, it certainly wasn’t because of Kei.

“Why are you so loose with your affections?”

“Loose…?”

Now I even let out a hollow laugh at the suffocating feeling that was spreading in my chest. I had been wondering all along but had been pretending not to notice, but now I could no longer pretend not to know.

“What does it matter to you if I’m worried about him?”

“…”

Joo Do-hwa’s face hardened. Even though knowing it was a dangerous sign, my mouth, once opened, showed no signs of closing.

“Whether I suck his cock or some other bastard’s cock, what’s wrong with that and why do you keep acting like this?”

The more we talked, the more I felt that the direction of his anger was misplaced. What on earth was he dissatisfied with? I wanted to ask if he had treated everyone who had come before me like this, but didn’t.

“Since yesterday, what on earth…”

“What does it matter, you ask?”

Joo Do-hwa replied coldly, taking a step closer. The scattered bills on the floor were trampled under his feet. Ah, my money. Even in this situation, that still bothered me. Regardless, Joo Do-hwa continued in an even lower voice.

“I bought you the money, hyung.”

“…”

“So you’re mine, aren’t you?”

It was the abnormal obsession that Joo Do-hwa occasionally showed. It was a claim he often made even in childhood, saying that since he picked it up, wasn’t it his? An emotion closer to possessiveness over an object rather than affection for a person.

“So why are you taking that bastard’s side?”

That bastard? The more explicit expression than before fully revealed the anger he felt. It was an emotion I couldn’t understand, and it was still just as frustrating.

“When did I ever take his side?”

“You just said you were worried about him.”

Was he saying that since he bought me with money, I shouldn’t even worry about others? Joo Do-hwa, speaking as if it were obvious, curled up one corner of his mouth.

“Whether it was that bastard or me who put it in your mouth, it’s the same, so how can you only worry about him?”

“That and this are…”

“They are related.”

Joo Do-hwa took another step closer. I flinched at the suddenly close distance, but he bent down to meet my eyes.

“I’m hurt, you know.”

“…”

It was a menacing gaze that didn’t match the cute words of feeling hurt. The moment our eyes met, I unconsciously straightened my back.

“Or did that bastard put it somewhere else too?”

“What are you saying? Nothing happened.”

Why did I have to explain this? Even as I thought that, I shook my head first. I had a feeling that if I provoked Joo Do-hwa again this time, something irreversible would happen.

“You’re saying something unbelievable.”

However, Joo Do-hwa didn’t believe my words. He replied in that gentle voice of his and lightly touched my cheek with the back of his hand.

“Are you so fond of a man you haven’t even slept with?”

At first, I wondered if he was talking about Kei. No matter how I thought about it, I had never acted fondly toward Kei. But contrary to my expectation, Joo Do-hwa nodded his head, gesturing to the money scattered around.

“Then how much must you worry about the people who gave you this money?”

“…”

An unresolvable irritation swept over me. How long would I have to continue this tedious conversation? I felt like I was sinking deeper into a quagmire.

“If that’s what you’re unhappy about, why don’t you give me that money too?”

So I said that, suppressing my feelings of resentment. If he was going to claim that I was his because he bought me with money, then he should just buy even that cheap concern.

However, Joo Do-hwa slightly raised the corner of his mouth, indicating that he had heard what I said.

“Ah… I see.”

“…”

“Why didn’t I think of that?”

A chill ran up and down my spine at his blatant mockery. It seemed as if a shadow had momentarily crossed his golden eyes.

“Do you have any STDs?”

“…What?”

It was an unexpected question. Before I could grasp its meaning, Joo Do-hwa let out a small laugh.

“No, it doesn’t matter even if you do.”

With those final words, he suddenly grabbed my wrist without warning. Startled by his abrupt action, I barely had time to react before he pulled me off the bed with brute force.

“What is this…Ah!”

I almost fell but managed to stand on both feet. When I nearly slipped again, stepping on some banknotes, Joo Do-hwa wrapped his other arm around my waist to steady me.

“Walk straight.”

I couldn’t possibly say it was his fault. He held onto me as he took large strides. As he seemed intent on leaving the room, I desperately grabbed hold of his arm with my free hand.

“Why are you suddenly like this? Where are we going, huh?”

I asked urgently, but no answer came from the other man. He simply gripped my hand even tighter.

In the end, I was forcibly led by him. Due to our unavoidable height difference, I nearly fell several times, but Joo Do-hwa paid no attention to that either.

“Joo…No, Do-hwa. Where are we going, I asked.”

“That’s a bad habit.”

Finally, after calling his name again, Joo Do-hwa responded. He muttered quietly as if talking to himself, then spoke without looking back at me.

“You only call me that when you need something. ‘Do-hwa,’ you say.”

“…”

My shallow intentions were immediately exposed. I didn’t think they wouldn’t be discovered, but when actually pointed out, I was left at a loss for words.

“Unless you really want to piss me off, shut up and follow me.”

Joo Do-hwa, still holding onto me, headed toward the stairs in the middle of the hallway. As he still wasn’t slowing down, I had to be careful not to tumble down when descending to the second floor. Having not even had the chance to put on slippers, the carpet felt strange against my bare feet.

“…Hah.”

I felt just like livestock being dragged to the slaughterhouse. My wrist ached, and anxiety welled up, making it hard to breathe. My heart was pounding as if it would burst out of my chest, and my fingertips were trembling.

“What on earth are you…”

That was when I was about to make one last protest. I was going to ask what the hell he was doing, tell him to use words if he had a problem, or even to just hit me instead.

Just as I opened my mouth, Henry, who had come up to the second floor, stopped upon seeing us.

“…Young master?”

Henry’s eyes opened wide. A rare look of surprise appeared on his usually expressionless face. At the same time, Joo Do-hwa shoved my arm, which he had been holding, toward Henry.

“…!”

Henry caught my body as it crumpled, about to fall. Joo Do-hwa completely loosened the tie around his neck and carelessly jerked his chin toward me.

“Clean that person thoroughly.”

“…Pardon?”

It was an instruction that neither Henry nor I could comprehend. Clean me up?

As my mind went blank, I suddenly remembered the question about having STDs. Just as all the blood in my body turned cold, Joo Do-hwa added one more thing.

“I’m going to put it in right away, so loosen up the back too.”