‘Where are you going?’
A foreigner who was talking to Min-jun approached.
‘This Asian guy saw everything, didn’t he?’
A frightening gaze turned towards Do-hwa. He put his hand into the jacket pocket he was wearing and took out a pistol. Then, without hesitation, he pressed it against Do-hwa’s head.
‘Let’s kill him.’
Kill? Do-hwa’s heart tightened.
‘I… I… didn’t see anything…’
Do-hwa lifted his head to quickly get up. However, of all things, Min-jun’s face was close by. As a result, because of that, his lips accidentally collided with his, unintentionally turning into a situation where they unexpectedly kissed.
He’s crazy. What does he expect when he smacks lips in a situation like this?
Do-hwa was flustered by the devilish coincidence as he quickly recoiled.
‘This… This was a mistake.’
Do-hwa’s embarrassment and fear mingled together. In a hurry, as he tried to take off his slippers and run, the voice of the foreigner was heard.
‘That person is running away! If he calls the police, it’ll get complicated!’
‘I’ll handle it myself. Just stay still.’
‘What?’
‘It’s my business.’
Min-jun touched his own lips, staring at Do-hwa. The blue gaze felt like a shackle. Do-hwa was terrified, as he couldn’t understand why Min-jun was saying such things and making such expressions, but for now, he fled.
Without realizing the fact that the accidental kiss had grazed Min-jun’s nose hair.
ꕥꕥꕥ
‘Haa, haa…’
Do-hwa ran barefoot in a daze. The floor was carpeted, but the impact on his ankles was significant. However, more awkward than this was the fact that there was no door to exit right now. His breath became increasingly labored, and running became more difficult. So, he slowed down, leaning against the wall to catch his breath. It felt like they were about to burst, but he forced them back. Crying now wouldn’t solve anything. He needed to calmly assess the current situation. Do-hwa gripped his pounding heart and looked behind him. However, Min-jun or the foreigner, who should have been right behind him, were nowhere to be seen.
‘Haa…’
For now, it was a relief. However, it was just a temporary sense of relief; the fear continued to grow relentlessly.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
‘He’s crazy…’
Ktf yibbvlfv wfc jcv Zlc-pec’r mbiv ujhf. Snfc tlr rkffa rmfca ilcufgfv bc Gb-tkj’r ybvs. Kb Gb-tkj, Zlc-pec kjr pera j xlcv Dfaj teyjf. Lbkfnfg, lc gfjilas, tf kjr jc fzagfwfis vbwlcjca Ciqtj jcv j wfgmlifrr xliifg. Gb-tkj tjv ecobgaecjafis klacfrrfv atja rmfcf.
‘Haa…’
Ktf kjs ab rlifcmf j klacfrr lr ab qfgrejvf bg, jiafgcjalnfis, mea boo atflg rbegmf. Aevulcu ys atf obgflucfg ktb ectfrlajalcuis jlwfv atf uec ja tlr tfjv fjgilfg, atf ijaafg bqalbc kjr ecvbeyafvis lc qijs.
The momentarily dry tears welled up again. Despite enduring a difficult and scar-filled life until now, Do-hwa never expected his life to end like this. He tried to hold back the tears, but the emotions intensified and surged once more. He hastily used his hands to cover his mouth and wipe away the tears.
At that moment, a strong arm wrapped around his waist. Do-hwa felt the sensation of his heart plummeting and looked in that direction.
‘You’re here.’
It was Min-jun.
‘Gasp.’
Do-hwa was surprised, as he quickly recoiled. He didn’t sense any presence; when did Min-jun arrive? A chill ran down his spine.
‘Let’s talk.’
His expression was exactly as Do-hwa knew it: a mature and affectionate gaze. However, he had hidden and disguised his true identity until now. It couldn’t be deceived any longer. Do-hwa pushed away Min-jun’s hand and fled vigorously once again.
‘Haah… Haah…’
He ran and ran like that. However, the same corridor kept stretching out. What was strange was that, despite running so noisily, not a single guest or staff member was in sight. It felt strange, as if the space itself had been suppressed.
‘Damn…’
After encountering another blocked wall once again, Do-hwa found himself unable to proceed any further. In the moment he was about to turn into another corridor, Min-jun approached from the other side.
‘Now, stop running. It’s tiring, isn’t it?’
His steps were leisurely, as if he were confident that Do-hwa’s escape was futile.
Do-hwa felt frustrated. He paced in place, scanning his surroundings. He searched desperately for a way to escape from this place.
There were stacked boxes on the left, and behind them, there was a door he hadn’t seen before. Despite encountering discouraging outcomes in his previous attempts to search for an escape, Do-hwa didn’t want to give up hope just yet. He pushed open the door with his shoulder. The stairs appeared. The stairs going down were cluttered with various items, but the stairs going up were clear.
Descending would have been the preferable option, but given the circumstances, Do-hwa had no choice but to go up. He swiftly closed the door and ascended the stairs.
The light pouring in from outside was like a compass, making it convenient for Do-hwa to navigate. After climbing all the stairs, another door greeted him. Although he didn’t know how many floors the hotel had, judging by the ascent, he speculated it led to the rooftop. Do-hwa was feeling a sense of urgency as he kicked the door open with his foot.
‘Huh?’
Contrary to his expectations, the revealed space was an indoor swimming pool surrounded by transparent glass walls on all sides. There were scattered construction materials, indicating that it might still be under construction. The pool was filled with water that was surprisingly clear. However, there were no people here either. Considering the late hour and the fact that it might not be operating hours, it was natural for there to be no one around.
‘Now, even if you try to escape, it’s pointless.’
Once again, Min-jun was approaching quietly, conveying a sense of Min-jun’s silent and eerie presence.
‘Come here. I won’t do anything bad.’
He raised his hand gracefully. His expression was calm, as if he had no intention of playing tricks. For a moment, Do-hwa unconsciously almost took his hand, but he quickly became cautious again and glanced behind him.
On the opposite side of the rectangular pool, there was a door that seemed to lead to the exit. He wasn’t sure if the door would open, but rather than getting caught here, he had to give it a try. However, he couldn’t run across to the other side. There were brick or cement pedestals stacked on both sides of the pool. In the end, he had no choice but to swim across.
At that moment, a conversation between Min-jun and Kim Soo-yeon flashed in Do-hwa’s mind.
‘Is Min-jun good at swimming?’
‘I’m more of a beer bottle guy. I’m really bad at swimming.’
In contrast, Do-hwa had been closely associated with water, even being active in the swimming club during middle school. However, that was in the past. Now, he had built a wall between himself and swimming and felt uncertain.
‘Seonbae?’
Min-jun had approached even closer without Do-hwa realizing it. Do-hwa took a few steps back and eventually threw himself into the pool. He originally should have stretched before swimming, but given the current situation, it wasn’t the time to be concerned about that.
Despite being indoors, the pool water was surprisingly cold. As a result, Do-hwa’s body contracted, and he shivered. However, he quickly adjusted his posture and attempted to swim freestyle. It had been a long time since he swam, but the effects of the years he had spent swimming soon became evident.
Min-jun, who claimed to be a beer bottle, probably wouldn’t be able to keep up. With a smile of realization, Do-hwa turned his head. However…
Min-jun took off his top with a stern face. His broad shoulders and well-built physique, composed of muscles, were revealed. This was the second time Do-hwa had seen his body, the first being in his studio apartment. Do-hwa was dazzled by Min-jun’s perfect physique, as he momentarily forgot to blink.
Min-jun eventually jumped into the pool without hesitation. Then, skillfully and quickly, he showcased the freestyle stroke.
‘I… I thought you said you were bad at swimming!’
Even that seemed to be a lie. Do-hwa frowned and moved his arms. However, perhaps due to Min-jun’s influence, his body didn’t respond quickly. Min-jun soon approached from behind and pressed closely. His warm breath added to the intensity of the moment.
Do-hwa swam hard. It was a struggle for survival in and of itself. Min-jun, who had somehow taken the lead, arrived at the other side first and was climbing out using the safety bar. Do-hwa fell into a gloomy mood. It was a moment that showed that no matter how hard he tried to escape, it was futile.
‘Come up slowly. It’s slippery.’
Min-jun reached out his hand towards Do-hwa, completely out of the pool. It was an invitation to grab his hand. The fingers that had been gesturing to hold on seemed endlessly long. His palms and even his fingernails were perfectly shaped. Do-hwa found it absurd that he was still admiring Min-jun’s hand in this situation.
However, Do-hwa couldn’t just obediently follow Min-jun. He turned away from his hand and approached the opposite safety bar. Thinking it was too early to give up, he quickly climbed out and started walking away.
‘Argh!’
His foot slipped as if oil had been spread, and he fell, his forehead hitting the ground.
‘Seonbae!’
Min-jun hurriedly approached and sat down.
‘Ah… Ugh…’
Do-hwa felt a throbbing pain and struggled to get up. However, Min-jun scooped him up in a tight embrace. As a result, Do-hwa ended up in a position where he was kneeling, held in Min-jun’s arms.
‘Are you hurt? Your face is red.’
He gathered Do-hwa’s wet bangs and gently touched his forehead.
‘I… I’m okay.’
Do-hwa became nervous and polite, completely enveloped by Min-jun.
‘I… I… It’s hard to speak… ugh.’
In the end, Do-hwa couldn’t hold back his tears. Not only tears but also a runny nose streamed down as he sniffled. The dignity and pride of a three-year-old seonbae were not important at this moment. The priority was simply not to disturb Min-jun’s feelings.
‘My mouth is really heavy! I swear, it’s a secret that I cried all night because of a king mark on Jihoon’s butt and my first love. I haven’t told anyone anywhere.’
‘I didn’t know you had such a secret with that seonbae.’
Do-hwa was taken aback by Min-jun’s response. He just wanted to emphasize his own silence, but he ended up sounding like a smartass.
‘No, I mean…’
‘But how do you know that Jihoon guy has a mark on his butt?’
Min-jun’s questioning voice sank, and a stern tone was felt. Do-hwa trembled and opened his mouth.
‘When we were in elementary school, I saw it in a public bath.’
‘Huh, that guy saw it first.’
Min-jun expressed irritation and then swept his bangs back, revealing his Western-like nose more prominently. Do-hwa couldn’t understand his reaction. He was the one who got punched in the eye after seeing the mark on Jihoon’s butt. But why would Min-jun be uncomfortable as if he had witnessed it himself?
😅 what a chase, also why haven’t you realized this man wasn’t truthful when answering their questions? 🤧 Also not the vinegar at the end at the Omega Jihoon seeing his body first when they were younger 🤣
Do-hwa my friend you’re too dense