PHUW 82

His action made Jeong Mok freeze. On top of that, the other pressed his small pale face firmly against Jeong Mok’s lower stomach, then rubbed it.

“Why… all of a sudden?”

Jeong Mok swallowed and asked.

“It was just a greeting. Hurry and go.”

Unlike him, flustered and stiff, Ahn Haeri let go of Jeong Mok as if he truly had no hidden meaning at all.

Leaving Jeong Mok standing frozen like he had been nailed to the spot, Haeri searched for the living room TV remote.

“The TV’s as big as a door. Money really is the best. Oh, it even has most OTT services.”

Muttering to himself, Ahn Haeri fiddled with the TV and then suddenly looked back at Jeong Mok.

“Aren’t you going? If you leave later, you’ll get stuck in traffic.”

“Oh, right. Yeah.”

“Bring ice cream when you come back. The kind they sell at convenience stores.”

“Alright.”

Jeong Mok answered reluctantly and headed to the entrance. He tilted his head, still not understanding, then simply decided that Haeri was so happy to be living together again that he had gone a little overboard.

After Jeong Mok left, Haeri turned his gaze not to the TV but to the empty entrance. Then he twisted his lips into a wide grin.

“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Just wait and see, hyung-nim.”

***

As soon as Gom-i saw Jeong Mok, he didn’t know what to do, he was sulking but also overjoyed. It was because Jeong Mok had skipped the morning visit while bringing Haeri home after discharge. Though he barked loudly, as if angry, asking why he had only come now, his tail wagged so hard that wind blew around them.

“Alright, let’s go home now.”

He soothed the whining dog who wiggled his hindquarters wildly, then paid the hospital bill and bought a generous stock of food and various supplies. When Gom-i, insisting on being noticed first, even reared up on his hind legs and poked Jeong Mok’s shoulder with his front paws, the technician at the counter laughed.

During the drive, with Jeong Mok at the wheel, Gom-i behaved quietly, lying in the back seat and only sleeping. In a way, he was more mature than his owner. He had even sensed Jang’s crime faster than Jeong Mok and charged at him. In many ways, he was reliable.

“I’ll be counting on you.”

Speaking while looking at the rearview mirror, Jeong Mok saw Gom-i twitch one ear.

***

“Gom-i!”

As soon as they arrived home, Haeri pushed his wheelchair with energy and rushed forward.

Overjoyed at seeing Haeri, Gom-i thrashed so wildly that even Jeong Mok couldn’t control him, nearly knocking over Haeri’s wheelchair. Alarmed, Jeong Mok grabbed hold of it.

Having gone nearly a week without seeing Haeri, the heavy ball of fur whined and wagged his hindquarters relentlessly. Unable to resist Gom-i’s eagerness to check every part of him including his injured foot, Haeri got down from the wheelchair.

Circling all around his human lying flat on the floor, Gom-i inspected him thoroughly, then placed his huge head on Haeri’s chest and refused to budge.

If Jeong Mok tried to come near, Gom-i whined and licked around his own mouth as though saying not to touch, that Haeri was his.

“You’re too much. At the hospital you were so happy to see me.”

“Of course he likes me more. Ha ha.”

That the two were close was not only obvious but even praiseworthy, yet somehow Jeong Mok felt left out. And it was hard to tell whether he felt left out by Gom-i, who had thrown him aside overnight, or by Haeri, who watched that behavior without scolding the dog like before and instead accepted it.

Putting aside his mixed feelings, Jeong Mok placed the forgotten convenience store ice cream into the refrigerator and set the hotel-style dosirak delivered exactly on time by the live-in staff on the table.

It was already past four.

Jeong Mok had made two trips back and forth to Gyeonggi-do, he hadn’t managed to do any work that day. If he went in now, it would certainly be a late night.

“Ahahaha. That tickles.”

Ahn Haeri’s foot was half in a splint, wrapped tightly in bandages. Because he was young, he was recovering quickly, so a full cast was planned for the following week. He was using the wheelchair to avoid putting strain on his injured foot, but if he wanted, he could move just fine by using his other foot for support.

The building’s own security system was strict, and on top of that, the secretly stationed guard team made it nearly impossible for outsiders to even see Ahn Haeri’s face.

‘But he’s so careless by nature.’

Leaving only those two at home, they might end up hurt again before long. He wasn’t sure if it was right to leave them alone. He also worried that if he left on the very first day after moving in, Haeri might feel lonely.

‘Maybe I should stay home today. I can do video meetings from here, can’t I?’

He hesitated and picked up his work phone. As he recalled his schedule and judged what could be postponed, his secretary happened to send a message, as if knowing his hesitation.

It was a schedule that had already been adjusted several times. A note of urging in the form of a report said everything was prepared for him to start immediately once he arrived at the company. The first video conference partner, the branch manager overseas, was already waiting. Added to that was Chief Ahn’s message that a report about Ahn Haeri had reached the Chairwoman. If he delayed any longer, the Chairwoman would summon him straight away. He had to go.

He sighed and put on the jacket he had taken off. At that, Haeri, still lying down, suddenly lifted his head toward him.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m behind on work. I need to stop by the office.”

“Really? Alright.”

Without even looking his way, Ahn Haeri just waved his hand. Gom-i too glanced up at him, then let out a ‘sigh’ and turned his head in another direction as if he couldn’t stand the sight of him. What was that supposed to mean.

“If you get hungry, there’s a dosirak on the table, so make sure you eat.”

He reminded him before stepping completely out of the living room, just in case Haeri hadn’t noticed it.

“Got it.”

Hugging the giant black bear that whimpered for attention, Ahn Haeri kept smacking kisses onto its massive head that hadn’t cracked even after being struck by a wrench, paying no attention to him. He hadn’t expected anything from Gom-i, who treated him like a second choice whenever Haeri was around. But he thought Haeri at least would see him off with a little more sincerity. When they lived together before, Haeri used to come to the entrance.

“I’m going.”

Before stepping out, he glanced back at the living room. This time there wasn’t even a half-hearted reply.

Something felt wrong. He felt like a pitiful husband despised by his wife and child. He almost felt resentful, that only the two of them were happy together while leaving him out…At that very thought, Jeong Mok slammed his forehead against the elevator wall.

‘Begone, ghost of Jeong Yeongil!’

He was about to bang his forehead against the wall again, frightened at himself.

–Beep! This is building management. Is something happening inside the elevator?

Someone spoke from the elevator speaker. He froze in place, posture still bent. This building’s security was strict. The elevator had surveillance cameras, always being monitored.

“I’m tired, I just… felt dizzy for a moment.”

Jeong Mok touched his forehead lightly and staggered, feigning nonchalance.

–We’ll call 119.

“No, no! My secretary is waiting below. I’m fine.”

He frantically waved toward the security camera, not daring to lift his head.

–Are you certain?

“Yes. I’m fine.”

The express elevator had already reached the underground parking lot. As soon as the door opened, his chauffeur hurried up.

“There was a loud noise just now in the elevator. Are you alright?”

“It’s nothing. Let’s go. I’m late.”

As though nothing had happened, Jeong Mok quickly stepped out of the elevator. The car was already waiting right at the door. Without waiting for the chauffeur to open it, he opened it himself and got in. Leaning his elbow against the dark tinted glass, he swallowed his embarrassment alone.

For him it was time to start work, but for his staff it was quitting time. Except for essential personnel, he enforced leaving on time. Scattered tasks were sorted by importance: he reviewed only those he absolutely had to handle himself, delegating the rest to the right people. Particularly difficult cases he selected out and sent to staff at the branch near where Choi Sangeon lived.

The moment he realized Choi Sangeon wasn’t checking his email on time, Jeong Mok had assigned a trusted staff member to the overseas branch to deliver the documents to him in person and get his confirmation. Then the man, who never answered when Jeong Mok called in a rush, immediately blew up his phone with direct calls. Of course, Jeong Mok ignored them.

Frustrated, Choi Sangeon even sent an email complaining that he was being worked from home without pay, but Jeong Mok ignored it for a week and brushed it off with just, “I’m busy.” Imagining him grumbling under watch while working made Jeong Mok smiled faintly for a moment.

Video conferences followed one after another, by affiliate company. He had postponed them since they were hard to do at the hospital. With time short, he possessed the mindset of a sociopathic CEO, dropping greetings and preambles to go straight to the point, addressing only what mattered. Even so, by the time he finished them all it was nearly ten at night.

He quickly he checked his phone, feeling a little alarmed. His work phone had been ringing nonstop, but his personal phone held nothing but random spam texts. There had been no special reports from the security team either.

‘Maybe he’s asleep?’

He almost called but didn’t. If Haeri was asleep, he didn’t want to wake him. Better to finish work quickly and get home as soon as possible. Gritting his teeth, he worked through the backlog as fast as he could.

Even with the effort, it was nearly midnight by the time he left the company. He also brought along his secure work laptop, knowing he wouldn’t be able to rest fully at home either.

‘It’s too quiet, it makes me uneasy.’

He had never felt this anxious even when leaving Song-i alone. Song-i was picky but mature, not the type to get into trouble alone. But Ahn Haeri and his clingy Gom-i…

He sent a message saying he was on his way home. No check mark, no reply. Worried, this time he called. No answer. His anxiety shot instantly to its peak.