BHB 87

“Where’s your other half?”

“Who? Taegang?”

“Who else would it be?”

“It’s tiresome, man. Everyone asks about Taegang when they see me.”

“Well, who told you to be so inseparable?”

“Is it really that bad?”

Suddenly, Yeowon remembered what Baek Seungha had said yesterday—that their constant togetherness appeared unusual to others. Genuinely curious, he erased his playful smile and asked in a lower voice.

“Why are you asking that now?” Kim Myungjoo responded indifferently, giving him a strange look.

“Someone told me that Taegang and I seemed unusual.”

“You were unusual. It’s really funny that you’re asking as if you didn’t know.”

“… I never felt it. That we were unusual. I just thought it was natural.” Yeowon poured a bottle of whiskey that Myungjoo had provided, letting out a self-deprecating laugh. 

Frowning at the strangely different atmosphere, Myungjoo examined him more carefully while continuing casually, “You were a bit unusual, but more precisely, it was Taegang rather than you.”

Yeowon looked up with curious eyes, watching Myungjoo as he poured his drink. 

Myungjoo pondered briefly, tapping his glass with his finger before cautiously beginning, “To be honest, I sometimes wondered if Taegang thought of you… in that way.”

“What?”

“Of course, I dismissed those suspicions when I saw him dating girls.”

“What do you mean ‘in that way’?”

“You know. Like if Taegang liked you in that way… ugh, damn. It’s creepy just saying it.”

Myungjoo exaggerated a shudder with a distasteful expression. He even scratched his mouth as if the mere mention gave him goosebumps.

“But it was a reasonable misunderstanding. I might see you getting beaten up, but he absolutely couldn’t stand seeing you get hurt. Remember in our second year of high school, when you got jumped by seniors from the neighboring school at the PC room? Taegang arrived in the middle, and when he saw you getting hit, his eyes went wild. I’ve rarely seen his eyes like that, even though he’s been in many fights. But whenever you got beaten up or came back from a confrontation, he always reacted that way. I didn’t notice at first, but that day the thought suddenly occurred to me. When his eyes go like that, it’s truly terrifying. Even though we’re on the same side, it’s scary as hell. That’s why I know.”

Myungjoo shuddered once more as if the thought was disturbing, shaking his head. Yeowon knew Taegang’s eyes sometimes changed like that, but he had never felt it was particularly special.

“It’s just because we’ve known each other for a long time.” Finding nothing particularly noteworthy, Yeowon responded indifferently.

“That’s what I thought too, but it’s still a bit strange. No matter how long two guys have known each other, why would it be so special?”

“…”

“But you two seemed special. It was weird at first, but maybe I got used to it later. Not in a creepy way, but more like brothers?”

That was right. He had thought so too. Like brothers, like family. But now they were having sex. It suddenly occurred to him that what had started as a whim was lasting longer than expected.

“I was kind of envious too. I felt close to you, but never felt close to Taegang.”

“What are you talking about? After hanging out together all through high school.”

“Jin Youngchae probably thought the same. But I’m grateful. Thanks to him, I could get to where I am now.”

“What does that mean?”

Myungjoo continued his answer casually, as if chatting about something ordinary, “I told you before. In this business, it’s all about connections, and what connections do I have besides you and Taegang?”

“What connections are you talking about?”

“You know that Taegang knows all those important people.”

Yeowon did know. Those were ultimately his parents’ connections. But while he knew Taegang avoided socializing with those people, he had no idea he was close enough to introduce Myungjoo to them.

“But they don’t look super close. You know how influential their parents are. He reluctantly attends those regular gatherings of second and third-generation heirs.”

“Why… didn’t I know about this?”

“Yeah, why didn’t you? I’m here because he occasionally invites me. I’m really grateful to him for that.”

Though he had intentionally avoided taking interest in Taegang’s family affairs, it was disconcerting that Myungjoo knew something he didn’t. Yeowon made a sour face before letting out a hollow laugh.

“Anyway, you’ve never been interested in that kind of thing.”

“In what?”

“One reason I didn’t suspect you two in that way was because of you.”

Yeowon stared at Kim Myungjoo with a completely baffled expression.

“Because compared to Taegang, you seemed to care much less about him.”

“…”

“You have that tendency. You can be exceptionally attentive one moment, then completely indifferent the next.” Myungjoo pointed at him, narrowing his eyes as if he were some kind of perceptive person. 

As soon as he said this, Yeowon involuntarily remembered Taegang’s self-deprecating smiles. His repeated comments about him not knowing anything suddenly struck him mind.

“You don’t know about that either?”

“…What now?”

“Taegang’s father being selected as the party leader. As a presidential candidate.”

He had vaguely known he was emerging as a presidential contender, but this was the first he’d heard about his official selection as a candidate.

“Taegang is going to be really busy.”

“…”

“I wonder if he’ll be able to live as freely as he does now.” Myungjoo continued casually, “The media and those people will tear him apart. Ugh. The group chat is chaotic these days. Half trying to get on Taegang’s good side, half trying to find his weaknesses.”

Myungjoo gave him a warning look with a nod. Feeling a chill rising from his core, Yeowon downed his drink and wiped his face. His only worry had arrived right before his eyes. It was his most sensitive issue and greatest fear—the attacks Taegang would face because of his father, and his parents who would never let him be.

“So that’s why.” In the suddenly tense moment, Myungjoo quietly muttered to himself, “I told you Choi Youngdu has been looking for you lately.”

“…”

“The timing is terrible. Keep a low profile. That guy is a real thug. I felt uneasy about it, so I told Jin Youngchae. Those guys frequently visit our club. The boss gives them some money too, asking for help when needed.”

“Why is Choi Youngdu looking for me?”

“Why? He hates you. I heard he’s been grinding his teeth over you since that incident at the club ruined everything for him.”

“What incident? The one where he tried to drug Taegang?”

“I don’t know the details about that.”

“That bastard tried to put something in Taegang’s drink that day. And he was going to take pictures of it.”

“He’s still the same piece of shit.” Myungjoo grimaced and cursed harshly at Yeowon’s words. “Don’t worry. I’ll contact you right away if anything happens. But don’t charge recklessly. Both you and Taegang need to be careful. Where the needle goes, the thread follows—if you get in trouble, Taegang’s eyes will go wild again.”

Though Myungjoo seemed carefree, he gave shrewd advice. Since high school, he had been the quickest to assess situations, accurately predicting when to step in and when to stay back. Of course, Yeowon had always ignored his advice.

“… Okay.”

Surprised by his unusually compliant response, Myungjoo raised his eyebrows and let out a laugh. “What’s this? You’re actually agreeing obediently.”

“What now?”

“You always choose to do exactly what you’re told not to. Even when I said to avoid Choi Youngdu, you couldn’t help but charge at him whenever you saw him. It’s better to avoid guys like that, but you can’t let it go…”

“He always chooses to do the most fucked-up things.”

“That’s true, but everyone else just ignores him.”

“What frustrated me most was being treated like the same kind of thug as him.”

“Well, well.”

“And…” Yeowon started to continue but stopped, gripping his glass as if about to break it. Blue veins emerged on the back of hIs hand as he muttered irritably to himself”He keeps messing with Taegang.”

He absolutely didn’t want to lose Taegang to someone as malicious as Choi Youngdu. He felt this particularly strongly about him. Was it because he disliked him so much? There was something childish about that feeling too.

“You’re making me sick.”

Myungjoo shook his head once more and made a strange grimace. Twitching his face as if disgusted and annoyed, he downed his drink—once again feeling that these two were unusually close.