"If you're not into it, then stop meddling and get lost, you motherfucker."
The tattooed man looked stunned by Yoon Taehee's clear pronunciation and unexpectedly low voice. Yoon Tehee snatched Jaegyeom's hat from the man's hand and then grabbed Jaegyeom's hand, leading him away.
He pulled him by the wrist and led him into the crowded lounge.
The music was loud, and people were dancing. Jaegyeom was still speechless, his face in disbelief. After a while, Yoon Taehee released his wrist, casually glancing back at where they had come from.
When their eyes met, he snickered.
"Surprised?"
Surprised? Jaegyeom couldn't believe it. It wasn't just a surprise—he was baffled, almost as if Yoon Taehee had been possessed by a ghost after retrieving the necklace.
So, was he pretending to be gay just now?
"You... sometimes you're really..."
Jaegyeom muttered with a frown, but the music was too loud for his words to be heard. Yoon Taehee leaned in close to his ear, prompting him to speak again.
"Sometimes, you're a legitimate crazy bastard."
Having leaned in to listen closely, Yoon Taehee heard the insult perfectly and couldn't help but press his lips together in an attempt to stifle a laugh. Jaegyeom's voice sounded deadly serious.
"By the way, did you drink?"
"Yeah, a little. Why?"
"You reek of alcohol."
It was mostly due to the drink spilled on him by the necklace owner earlier, but he'd also taken a few sips here and there, making his stomach feel warm. By now, the alcohol scent had begun to waft from his breath. The subtle heat of intoxication slowly started wrapping around his body.
"The Purification Department will be here soon. Let's leave as soon as they get here."
Jaegyeom nodded awkwardly. Suddenly, just like before, Yoon Taehee threw an arm around his shoulders. Startled, Jaegyeom asked,
"Wh- what are you doing? Why are you acting like this?"
"He's watching us from behind."
Jaegyeom subtly turned his head. As he had said, the tattooed man was standing near the bar, looking in their direction, whispering with someone. Was he suspicious about whether they were really together? Or maybe he realized they weren't invited guests.
Jaegyeom couldn't stop worrying about it.
At that moment, Yoon Taehee reached out and grabbed his chin.
"Don't turn around. It'll be too obvious. Act natural."
He pulled him closer by the shoulder, bringing his lips near Jaegyeom's ear.
"Just stay like this until he leaves. Just for a little while."
Standing so close to Yoon Taehee with his arm around his shoulder felt incredibly awkward. Jaegyeom, feeling nervous, instinctively tried to glance in the tattooed man's direction again. This time, Yoon Taehee firmly grabbed his cheek, preventing him from turning his head.
"Don't look back."
"Is he still there?"
"Yeah."
At that moment, the lighting suddenly shifted to red, making the party space much darker. Jaegyeom glanced around the room. He subtly pushed the other person's arm off his shoulder and turned to face him, then abruptly pulled him into a tight embrace.
"..."
Yoon Taehee froze.
"I'm doing this for that bastard. Just stay still."
He stood motionless, embraced by Jaegyeom.
"..."
"..."
The heavy beat of the music reverberated from the ground up.
So, this was of course... This was just matching Yoon Taehee's act of pretending to be gay. Plus, since the tattooed man was still watching from behind, showing a more intimate scene would throw him off...
"Now? Has he left?"
Jaegyeom asked quietly, but the other man didn't respond.
"Hey, did he leave or not?"
At that moment, Yoon Taehee, whose arms had been hanging loosely, suddenly wrapped them tightly around Jaegyeom's back and buried his face into his neck.
"..."
Jaegyeom was startled. He could feel the warmth of the other's breath on his neck.
"Hey."
Jaegyeom gently pushed him away.
"Hey, Yoon Taehee..."
Yoon Taehee, obediently stepping back, opened his eyes.
"Yeah."
Jaegyeom hesitated, lips parting as if to say something.
"You know, you..."
But at that moment—
"It's him!!"
A sharp shout suddenly rang out, causing both Yoon Taehee and Jaegyeom to turn toward the voice. Someone was pointing directly at Yoon Taehee.
"Ever since I sat with that weirdo, my necklace has gone missing!"
It was the owner of the ring Taehee had approached earlier.
Standing beside him were two burly guards in tight-fitting suits, ready to step in.
..."
Ah, shit. Yoon Taehee, now expressionless, rubbed his eyebrow.
"Excuse me, but can we check your pockets?"
One of the menacing guards stepped forward.
Yoon Taehee took a step back, raising his palm to stop the approaching guard.
"Alright, alright," he said, rolling his eyes and letting out a silent sigh.
"I'll give it to you, fine."
He raised both hands in a gesture of compliance, nodding.
Jaegyeom, with a confused expression, glanced back and forth between Yoon Taehee and the guard. Just as he was rummaging through his back pocket, he suddenly turned his head toward Jaegyeom and asked,
"Oh... what day is it today?"
Caught off guard by the random question, Jaegyeom froze for a moment and stared at him.
"What?"
"What day is it today?"
It seemed like Yoon Taehee was playing another one of his odd tricks. Jaegyeom mumbled as he glanced nervously toward the guard.
"June... 14th."
"Right, June 14th," Yoon Taehee nodded, as if in realization.
"I've been so out of it lately, I didn't even realize how quickly the days were passing."
He smiled, looking between the guard and the necklace owner. As he rambled on nonsensically, the guard extended his hand.
"Just hand it over already."
"Yeah, alright."
Yoon Taehee took something out of his back pocket and placed it in the guard's palm. The guard frowned as he stared at it. What he'd received wasn't a necklace, but a small mercury battery.
"What's this?"
"It's my heart," Yoon Taehee said with a cheeky smile, adding, "It's a gift."
The guard looked utterly baffled. Yoon Taehee continued
"Because today is June 14th,"
The necklace owner, clearly having had enough, furrowed her brow and snapped.
"What on earth are you doing?"
Suddenly, Yoon Taehee wrapped his arms tightly around Jaegyeom's waist. He then took one, two, three steps back, staring down at Jaegyeom.
In that brief moment, Jaegyeom felt the man's grip tighten and loosen on his waist, as if signaling something.
Taehee's lips moved almost imperceptibly as he whispered,
"...Wuxu, fourteenth day of the sixth month."
At that very moment, Jaegyeom froze, eyes widening.
"Yoon Taehee ends the silver wheel's countdown."
Boom—!!!
Bottles and lights nearby suddenly exploded with a loud bang.
People screamed and collapsed in fear. The party venue instantly became chaotic. As Jaegyeom, thrown back by the sudden blast of energy, staggered to his feet, an unexpected force grabbed his wrist tightly.
"What are you doing? Run!!"
Before he could even process what was happening, his legs started moving, pulled along by the force gripping him. Jaegyeom, half-dragged, dashed through the panicked crowd
"Hey! Catch them!!"
The guards, reacting a step too late, began their pursuit. Yoon Taehee and Jaegyeom ruthlessly shoved aside anyone in their way.
Tables overturned, and bottles shattered as they barreled through, the noise echoing loudly in the chaos.
They sprinted up the stairs, taking two or three steps at a time. The guards at the entrance, having received the call, rushed toward them. Jaegyeom kicked one squarely, clearing the path. They leaped over a railing blocking their way and continued running.
Before they knew it, a light drizzle had begun to fall outside.
The two of them burst onto the brightly lit nighttime streets, running and running again. At some point, Jaegyeom had started running ahead of Yoon Taehee. As they sped along the main road, Yoon Taehee called out from behind, "Left!" indicating they should turn into an alley. As soon as they did, a narrow residential street unfolded before them.
After running for a bit, they reached a dead end.
The guards were closing in from behind, while in front of them, a wall about the height of an adult blocked their path. Jaegyeom stepped onto a planter and easily vaulted over the wall. Yoon Taehee quickly followed, landing with a thud. They slipped into the narrow alley between multi-unit homes. They had run so hard and fast that Jaegyeom could taste blood in his mouth. He couldn't remember the last time he had run like this.
Their chests rose and fell rapidly as they caught their breath. Yoon Taehee pressed himself against the wall, listening for any sounds of pursuit. Jaegyeom, panting heavily, asked,
"Are they gone?"
"Yeah, they're gone."
Only then did Jaegyeom let out a deep sigh and collapse to the ground. Yoon Taehee, still leaning against the wall, rested his hands on his knees and tried to steady his breathing. Then, their eyes met.
"..."
"..."
As Jaegyeom gasped for breath, he suddenly felt the corners of his mouth twitch upward. He tried not to, but an uncontrollable laugh broke free.
"Pffft..."
Yoon Taehee, who had been biting his lip to suppress his own laughter, couldn't hold back any longer either. His heart felt like it was going to explode, and strangely enough, the whole situation felt exhilarating. Jaegyeom, struggling to stop laughing, said,
"I really thought you were going to give the necklace back."
"No way."
Like mischievous boys who had just pulled off a prank, they laughed together for a long time, shoulders shaking. Amid the laughter, Jaegyeom suddenly clenched his fist.
"You fucker, are you messing with me? You scared me! You should've told me ahead of time."
He swung his fist and lightly punched the other's shoulder. It didn't hurt, but it stung a little. Yoon Taehee rubbed his shoulder and leaned back against the wall.
"I gave you a signal. For someone who was so scared, you sure ran fast though?
"Hey, but wasn't everyone there ordinary people? Are you sure it's okay to use that thing?"
Yoon Taehee had used the battery at the last moment. Jaegyeom had seen it once before. It was the same artifact Lee Youngshin had used in the mountains, and back then, its explosive power had been immense.
"It's fine. I didn't compress too much energy into it. No one should be seriously hurt."
The explosion had been loud, but it wasn't lethal. It worked similarly to how a balloon pops - loud, but harmless. If Yoon Taehee had used a stronger version like the one Lee Youngshin had, he would have definitely faced disciplinary action.
Jaegyeom nodded and asked,
"The necklace?"
Yoon Taehee took the necklace out of his back pocket. It gleamed brilliantly, but its splendor held a slyness, like a poisonous mushroom. The energy it radiated was clearly malicious.
"I'll have to pick up the car tomorrow."
"Then how are you getting home?"
"I'll call a cab."
The two leaned against the wall, waiting for a taxi. The rain began to fall harder with each passing moment.
Yoon Taehee, glancing around, pulled Jaegyeom under the awning of a nearby house. The space was so narrow that they had to stand close together to stay out of the rain.
Before long, a silence settled between them. The late-night residential area was quiet. Jaegyeom suddenly realized how long it had been since they talked and laughed like this. A pang of bittersweetness suddenly filled his chest. The scent of Yoon Taehee's cologne was damp and heavy in the rain as he took a half-step away, letting the rain hit one of his shoulders.
Casually, Jaegyeom reached out and gently pulled him by the elbow.
"Your shoulder's getting wet."
Yoon Taehee obediently moved closer. The sound of raindrops hitting the awning rang out loudly. He let out a deep breath and slid down the wall into a seated position.
"I'm exhausted. Shouldn't have had that drink."
He crouched, his head lowered. Jaegyeom stood there, quietly watching the back of his head. After a moment of hesitation, Jaegyeom spoke softly.
"...Hey."
"Yeah."
Yoon Taehee's voice was muffled as his face was buried in his knees.
"You know... you..."
"Yeah?"
Jaegyeom, still hesitating, crouched down halfway and reached out to touch Yoon Taehee's forehead. At Jaegyeom's touch, he slowly lifted his head. Just as Jaegyeom had expected.
"Hey, you have a fever."
When Jaegyeom had hugged him earlier, his forehead against his neck had felt surprisingly hot. He wasn't sure if it was just from the alcohol, but it had been bothering him, wondering if Yoon Taehee was sick.
"Are you feeling unwell?"
Yoon Taehee, with his eyes closed, as if savoring the warmth of Jaegyeom's hand on his forehead, slowly lifted his hand and clasped Jaegyeom's hand over his own forehead.
"No, I'm fine..."
Then he slowly lowered his hand. He pulled Jaegyeom's hand, guiding it down to his cheek, making Jaegyeom's hand gently stroke his face. Jaegyeom froze for a moment.
Then Yoon Taehee pressed his lips against jaegyeom's palm.
"Wh- wh- what are you doing?"
58)
Jaegyeom flinched and tried to pull his hand away, but the other person tightened his grip, making it hard for him to escape.
"It's tiring."
The soft movement of his lips on his palm, along with his damp breath, sent chills down Jaegyeom's spine. Something indescribable crawled up his back like a ripple, and his heart began to pound.
Jaegyeom tightened his grip on Yoon Taehee's hand, signaling him to let go. The man seemed like he would let go, but then murmured softly,
"Whenever you're kind to me... I feel a thrill for life..."
He mumbled faintly. Lowering his head over their intertwined hands, Yoon Taehee rested his forehead against Jaegyeom's knuckles, as if in prayer or submission.
"Having a meal with me..."
Taehee muttered to himself.
"What?"
"Sometimes... drinking tea with me... even when I tell silly jokes, laughing at them, even if they're not funny..."
Jaegyeom couldn't make sense of what he was saying out of nowhere.
"And like today, sometimes... getting in my car. In the passenger seat..."
Yoon Taehee was aware of the small ember in his heart. He thought he had stomped it out, smothered it rudely, believing he had completely extinguished it like that.
But despite all his efforts to snuff it out, that ember had been reignited with a simple touch. Even in his rain-soaked, weary heart, the flame flared up, spreading uncontrollably, until it would inevitably consume everything
"And..."
Yoon Taehee trailed off, mumbling against Jaegyeom's hand, then fell silent. After a long pause, he finally spoke again.
"No, that's enough."
A cold raindrop fell onto their joined hands.
"Yeah, I think that'll be enough..."
The once gentle rain had turned into a torrential downpour.