Yigyeom had no energy as he stood under the bright street light, listening to Kwon Taejung’s laughter. He should be angry. He should tell him… Yigyeom, on the other hand, couldn’t say anything because he was terrified that Taejung would stop laughing.
“You must have a good life if you can laugh that loudly.”
Kwon Taejung suppressed his smile as he turned towards Yigyeom’s house, hearing a strange voice from a distance. While he couldn’t see his face, he recognized Goo Daebom by his voice and crooked demeanor. Kwon Taejung exhaled audibly, as if annoyed, and wrapped his arm around Yigyeom’s shivering shoulders.
“It’s alright. You have me. I’ll just beat him up. Don’t worry, okay? Just hold on to this. I’ll have this after I kick him out.”
Kwon Taejung gave Yigyeom the cold drink, which was no longer hot chocolate, and strode to the gate.
“Did you get a girlfriend? How close are you to them that your laughter echoing through the streets?”
Goo Daebom did not appear to have confirmed the identity of Kwon Taejung. Kwon Taejung moved in closer and stood beneath the streetlamp, beaming as he fixed his gaze on Goo Daebom.
“Hello, hyung. I got to meet you here?”
“…Huh? Taejung?”
Seeing how Goo Daebom was embarrassed and unable to smile, made Kwon Taejung want to get crazy with laughter. Kwon Taejung pulled Yigyeom next to him with a relaxed expression.
“Why are you here? I was in the middle of ensuring the residents’ safety service.”
“Ah, do you do that yourself?”
“Yes, of course. There are rumors going around that some thugs roam around in demolition villages these days.”
He tilted his head curiously while smiling and peered down at Goo Daebom, who was shorter than him, thinking that what Kwon Taejung said might offend him.
“Why did you come here, hyung?”
“There’s something I need to conform with this kid.”
“Go ahead, then.”
“You must be busy so you can go ahead.”
“I’m not busy at all. I’m sure you know why I’m not. Is it something I shouldn’t hear?”
“It’s not like…”
Yigyeom, who noticed Goo Daebom acting strangely, was half-hiding behind Kwon Taejung.
Goo Daebom usually pretended there was nothing to be afraid of in this world, as he looked straight into Kwon Taejung’s eyes and spoke carefully, yet there was a strange but unusual relief that came with it.
“Hey, I heard you put down two hundred today? Where did you get the money from? Are you selling your body?”
Goo Daebom approached Yigyeom, who was still partially hidden behind Kwon Taejung, as if to bully him. To hide Yigyeom from Goo Daebom, Kwon Taejung hid him behind his back and smiled brightly as if no one could spit on his face.
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.
“Yt, atja’r ws wbcfs. P ujnf la ab tlw.”
“Tbe? Qts?”
“Yt, la kjr yfmjerf P mjerfv j ylu ojez qjr ja ktfgf Tlusfbw kbgxfv. P ujnf tlw rbwfatlcu jr mbwqfcrjalbc yea rff, tf qjlv boo tlr vfya gluta jkjs. Dea ogbw cbk, lo rbwfatlcu rlwlijg tjqqfcr jujlc, P mjc pera rtbba atja wbcfs ab sbe.”
“Do you visit him at work or something?”
“No, as I said it’s something that happened by chance.”
“Ah…chance.”
Kwon Taejung stared at Goo Daebom, who was stunned, and slithered one of his hands behind him, patting Yigyeom’s hand, which was grabbing onto his clothes like a rope.
“Hyung, isn’t it better if he pays you quickly? He paid you two hundred instead of what 10, and you should be happy about it. Why did you come here being all angry? Is it important how he collected his money, even if it was selling himself? You can just receive the money.”
“No…I was worried that a young kid like him might get wrapped into something dangerous.”
“Ah…you must have been worried. You were bullying him because you were worried, I didn’t know that. But hyung, it’s not something to be worried about, is it?”
Kwon Taejung emphasized the end of his sentence. Goo Daebom couldn’t help but note the warning in his remarks, as if he was telling him not to touch his residents carelessly. Also, Kwon Taejung was unusually protective.
“Hyung, hyung help me out here too. I just want to spend these 3 months quietly. You know how I should not cause an accident again.”
“Yeah, I know. Sorry. I forgot you were in charge of this place. It was empty for the longest time, you know.”
“But it’s okay, now that you know. Then, go home safely, hyung.”
“Right. Let’s talk over a drink at a nice place, not here.”
Kwon Taejung responded with a wrinkling of his brow and a smile as he saw Goo Daebom depart. Perhaps simply watching him depart was a relief, but Kwon Ttaejung went the extra mile by walking outside the alley and after ensuring that Goo Daebom’s car had vanished, he returned by Yigyeom’s side.
“See that? That loan shark can’t even fight with me.”
Yigyeom’s hands were shaking as it held the cup Kwon Taejung gave him to hold. He felt sorry for the face that brightly shone under the streetlamp.
“I thought he would come at least once, but I knew it. Ah, fuck, why did he write numbers that were so transparent?”
“…How did you know he would be here?”
“I gave you money. Of course, if you pay off your debt and send so much money even when it’s not your pay day, of course Goo Daebom would be curious. Didn’t you get a call earlier?”
“…I did but I couldn’t check it because I was working. Just by seeing how he came here…”
“That’s why he must have come here. If he went to the cafe, it would have been a waste of time if he missed you.If the loan shark received your money he should say, oh thank you! And receive it, why is he nagging about where you received it from. What can he do by knowing from where you got your money? Whether its by selling your body or selling your organs, fuck, If you sell it naturally and voluntarily, why should he care? Why’s he freaking out about it?”
Yigyeom burst into a little chuckle as he looked up at Kwon Taejung, who was muttering complaints while glancing at the entrance to the alley from where Goo Daebom had fled.
Kwon Taejung tried to curse some more, but when he heard laughter as light as a cotton ball and as fluffy as whipped cream over coffee, he stopped and stared at Yigyeom with a somewhat shocked expression.
Yigyeom was laughing. He held the cup he gave him with both hands that stopped trembling.
“…”
That wasn’t a loud laugh, but it was a clear one that no one could mistake for anything else. His laughter possessed Kwon Taejung.
“Oh…I’m sorry. Listening to the Chief’s words felt so relieving…”
“Why are you laughing so…”
As soon as Kwon Taejung tried to say he was pretty, tears fell from Yigyeom’s eyes, leaving him speechless, and he locked eyes with Yigyeom’s teary face. His tears were as beautiful as his smile. Kwon Taejung wanted to give him two hundred, nay, two thousand won if Yigyeom could cry for another 5 minutes.
“Hey, if you cry while laughing like that, you’ll be in big trouble? Ah, it’s a problem if you smile while you’re crying, okay? I’m saying so, listen to me.”
Yigyeom, who was two steps away from Kwon Taejung, approached him first and proceeded one step closer. Kwon Taejung stood motionless as Yigyeom came. Yigyeom, who neared him, smelt faintly like peaches.
“…I’ll do as the Chief says.”
“…”
“…So please don’t get me in trouble. So that I can send you…quietly…really quietly and without being scared.”
“…”
“After I get out of here…I’ll take care of myself somehow…so please, even for a moment, just for the time here…please.”
Yigyeom couldn’t stop thinking about how Taejung had wonderfully protected him a while ago.
It was a peculiar feeling of stability, as if he could hide behind someone and be safe.
Yigyeom felt compelled to cling to Kwon Taejung as soon as he got that feeling in the banquet hall.
Yigyeom wanted to be protected. He wanted to hide when he was scared. So Yigyeom held Kwon Taejung’s hand. Because Yigyeom wanted to be safe. He didn’t want to feel scared even for a second.
Yigyeom did not want to be alone any longer. Yigyeom was so tired that he was willing to go into whatever Kwon Taejung demanded of him, even if it was only for three months. He just wanted to sleep without feeling anxious for the rest of the day.
“I was the one who was asking for a favor here. But it was more of a threat.”
“…”
“Let’s think about those later.”
“…”
“Just think about work now. There’s no use worrying about things that will happen later. I hope i t goes the way I think, but there are many things that might not work out.”
Kwon Taejung stroked his finger across Yigyeom’s eyelashes and brushed against the drop of tears that soaked his fingers. It was an impulsive act.
“But you know what? You totally fell for a thug for a second there, right?”
Kwon Taejung laughed and tapped Yigyeom’s tear-soaked cheeks with his fingertips before taking a sip of the hot chocolate.
Yigyeom caressed his cheeks with his palms that seemed to hold the remnants of warmth from the cup, despite the fact that it had turned cold, and filled his eyes with Kwon Taejung.
“Thank you for the drinks. Please make me another one next time.”
“…Okay…”
“I’ll be back around ten tomorrow. Call me if anything happens.”
“Yes, go home safely.”
“Okay, good night.”
Yigyeom was frequently swayed by Kwon Taejung’s good night. He wasn’t sure why he was upset by that quick, ritualistic greeting.
“Excuse…”
“Hm?”
“Cup…give that to me. I’ll throw it away.”
“Ah, will you? Here.”
Yigyeom bowed his head as he accepted the little cup from Kwon Taejung before immediately retreating beyond the gate. The alley was filled with the sound of distant footsteps. Yigyeom, who had only entered the room after hearing the noise, sat on the bench outside and placed the cup Kwon Taejung had given him next to him.
“….”
Kwon Taejung was unusual. He would pay 10 times Yigyeom’s paycheck to protect him, buy him delicious food, and even gift his grandfather things. Kwon Taejung was the same as those thugs, yet he told Yigyeom about other thugs like that and assuaged Yigyeom’s fears.
“But you know what? You totally fell for a thug for a second there, right?”
That was ridiculous. Yigyeom leaned forward on the bench and gripped his knees, placing his lips against his knee caps while tilting his head to look at the empty cup next to him.
“…”
I’ll make you a warm one the next time. Yigyeom groped for the cup for no apparent reason before burning his head in his knees with a shaking heart.
Kwon Taejung was a strange person. Even after leaving in different ways, he lingered in his mind for a long time, and the greeting of good night remained in his memory. It just warmed his heart.
It warmed my heart too… Ah the ice is melting guys
yes! slowly but sweetly!
whoaaa what a fluffy chapter🥺❤️❤️somehow, i’m smiling while reading this☺️☺️
thank you mimi for this wonderful update😘
your welcome! glad you enjoyed it <3
Thanks for this cute story
Pllls Kwon taejung don’t hurt Yigyeom in the future:( he’s just so precious
yes he is :’))
Thanks for the translation ❤️