F93

Since injuring his hand, Siwoo had been brushing his teeth awkwardly with a toothbrush gripped in his bandaged fingers. But now he sat quietly like a large, obedient dog, letting Yeonho take care of his mouth. Holding Siwoo’s jaw in his hand, Yeonho gently brushed his teeth, reaching into every corner with meticulous care.

“I really feel like I’m taking care of a baby. It suits me. I’m so happy I could burst.”

“Ahh.”

From where he sat, Siwoo could see the brightest expression Yeonho had ever shown. His radiant smile and voice made Siwoo feel guilty for not letting him take over sooner.

It was also the first time he’d received kisses on the forehead while getting his teeth brushed, and it was a pleasant experience. If he could, he wanted Yeonho to do it more often.

Toothbrush in his right hand, Yeonho used his left to stroke Siwoo’s hair as he murmured,

“I should’ve raised you myself from birth.”

Siwoo imagined a much younger, smaller Yeonho trying to carry him on his back. It made no sense. Yeonho hadn’t even been born yet when Siwoo was, but the thought still felt sweet, and he nodded, taking it as another piece of happiness.

Since he couldn’t speak with his mouth open, Siwoo made a soft “ah” sound in his throat and blinked. The earlier “ahh” had meant “I’m happy to be cared for too,” and this one meant “I want to be raised by you.”

Taking advantage of the moment, Yeonho said what he wanted to say.

“Baby. My big baby.”

Unable to offer any protest, Siwoo simply blinked and let out a drawn-out “aaahhh.”

Standing together under the shower, both of them naked, Yeonho lathered body wash onto Siwoo’s firm thighs and backside, brushing kisses over his lips. With their wet chests, stomachs, and lower bodies pressed together, Yeonho rubbed his own body against Siwoo’s and whispered,

“Once I’m discharged, I’m going to wrap up everything and come to Seoul with you. I don’t want to stay at the resort anymore. I don’t even want to see Seong Junyoung’s face again. I’m going to tell my parents everything, and I’m cutting that bastard out of my life completely. Until all of it’s settled, I want to take a break.”

To show his approval, Siwoo patted Yeonho’s backside like applause.

“That sounds good. Are you going to stay at your parents’ place? Won’t it be awkward with your dad?”

Wrapping both arms tightly around Siwoo’s waist, Yeonho looked up at him. After a moment of silence, he spoke in a serious voice.

“Hyung, let’s live together. This time, I’ll find the place.”

Siwoo froze. It felt like Yeonho had just proposed to him. His breath caught, and his heart raced with emotion. Yeonho gently rubbed foam onto his cheeks and said,

“I’ll spend the rest of my life making up for all the pain I caused you. A hundred times over.”

He had no intention of stopping. Now that he fully understood Siwoo’s heart and had decided where he stood, the only thing left was to press forward without retreat.

“And maybe things are going to get a little intense… will you stay by my side through it?”

“Are you going to do this legally?”

Yeonho nodded calmly. Siwoo pulled him into his arms and supported his courage. Letting out a breath of relief, Yeonho said,

“I should expose Seong Junhee on air. That’s how a lot of this gets resolved.”

He no longer wanted to ruin Seong Junhee’s name out of spite or anger. He was doing it now for Siwoo’s sake. The person who had died deserved to die. The college student Kim Yeonho who had accidentally killed him was not someone worth grieving. Just revealing that much could change everything.

Siwoo also hoped the crimes of those brothers would become public. That was why he considered the call from the PD to be a chance. For Yeonho to speak out alone would be too dangerous. The burden of proof on an individual was immense. A broadcast could at least shield the victim’s identity.

Yeonho laughed and added,

“Seong Junyoung loves attention, so I’ll make sure he doesn’t get any. If he ends up on the news for drug trafficking, he’ll probably enjoy that too.”

“He totally would. He’d probably list it on his resume.”

“Exactly. So first, I’ll tell my mom everything that happened. Then I’ll help her file for divorce. I took the sleeping pills of my own will, so I might be punished in the process. If that happens, I’ll accept it.”

Siwoo fully understood Yeonho’s plan. At most, Yeonho would probably get a fine. It didn’t worry him.

Yeonho continued in a cheerful voice.

“I recorded some of the things Seong Junyoung said. I didn’t mean to use them for anything, it just happened. It’s like instinct now. You know how I developed that compulsion to take photos, right? It’s the same with recording. If I can’t film it, I record it. I do it without even thinking.”

Then, even though they were alone, Yeonho leaned close to Siwoo’s ear and whispered like he was sharing a forbidden secret. His eyes sparkled.

“I have recordings of Seong Junyoung confessing to our dad, asking him to kill you. Of our dad admitting he knew what Seong Junhee did and covering it up. And I’ve got him apologizing for Seong Junyoung’s crimes and admitting he ordered a hit on you.”

At that, Siwoo laughed and pressed his palm firmly against Yeonho’s cheek. For Yeonho, who had developed such a heartbreaking habit, Siwoo had a gift.

“Yeonho, I’ve got documents proving that Seong Junyoung illegally got those sedatives from a black market supplier. I even know where he got them.”

“You do? How?”

“I paid someone back then.”

Siwoo dropped his head and let out a small laugh. He thought about saying, “I gathered that to destroy you,” but decided to swallow it. There was no need to be honest about everything. And besides, Yeonho was about to begin a long battle, and Siwoo was ready to support him with everything he had.

“Do everything you can against Seong Junyoung. I’ll handle the rest.”

After opening up fully and talking honestly with Siwoo, Yeonho began to feel calm settle over him. He could now think more clearly about what he could realistically do for Siwoo.

First, he had to be safe. If that was the case, then maybe there was no need to dig further into the already buried truth of Seong Junhee’s death. Maybe, as a human being, what he needed to do was not the “right thing.” Maybe he had to be a little more cunning, make slightly immoral choices, and shamelessly stay by Siwoo’s side. That, more than anything, was what would truly help him.

But still, his sense of responsibility and conscience kept searching for another way. He thought, at the very least, he wanted to tell Siwoo’s parents the truth about his innocence. But from their perspective, the fact that their son had tarnished the family’s name by falling in love with Joo Yeonho would be far more infuriating than accidental manslaughter. Being drunk and killing someone by mistake would’ve been better.

So what could he do for Siwoo? Not from his own standpoint, but from Siwoo’s. What would help him the most? Just revealing Seong Junhee’s true nature wasn’t enough.

There was still one final obstacle Siwoo had never overcome. His parents. Was reconciliation between them even possible? Probably not. But if, just once, they looked back and apologized, said they loved him, would it erase the shattered past he’d lived?

If there was no chance of that kind of ending, maybe what Siwoo needed was not forgiveness, but revenge.

While drying Siwoo’s hair with a towel, Yeonho asked,

“Hyung, what do you think is the biggest revenge you could take on your parents?”

Siwoo didn’t hesitate. It was a question he had answered in his head hundreds of times. The response came without a second’s delay.

“For them to lose their only son. For that son to refuse to take over the family business.”

Yeonho had expected that. It was probably why Siwoo had always been trapped in suicidal urges. The desire to use death to get revenge on his parents.

Laying the wet towel down, Yeonho stood before him and said firmly,

“Hyung, then I really have to steal that only son from them.”

It was something Yeonho had often said during their dating days, so Siwoo smiled and nodded as usual. But Yeonho didn’t smile. He was serious.

At twenty, it had just been something he said while imagining the far future. But now, it wasn’t so far away. He had a real plan. It had already begun.

If Siwoo had sacrificed something for him, and if that sacrifice couldn’t be undone, then Yeonho had to repay him through whatever means he could. That was what it meant to love someone. The only condition was that it couldn’t come at Ju Yeonho’s own expense.

Tilting Siwoo’s chin up with a light touch, Yeonho said,

“What was meant to go to Seong Junhee and Seong Junyoung, I’ll take it all and give it to you.”

Something flashed in Yeonho’s eyes. Siwoo had never seen him look like that before.

“If we can’t be tied by family, then let’s be tied by money. Come to me completely now.”