PHUW 96

“What’s wrong with sucking it a bit when the person I like happens to have a c0ck? Everyone else lives like that.”

It was the same tone as saying Koreans eat kimchi three meals a day. That was why he couldn’t be trusted. Was that really so common, rationally speaking? And if it really was common, wasn’t that a problem in itself? Where on earth was modern society’s reckless sexual awareness headed? This was the sort of issue fit for an open public debate.

“Don’t lie.”

Even if he didn’t know much, Haeri knew that was a lie.

Even if, by some chance, for adults with dating experience, it was common sense to have at least once sucked another person’s crotch, that had to be a lie. At least until he was prepared in body and mind to suck the new human species growing between the thighs of a chaebol vice chairman.

“Filthy pervert.”

“Sure. But isn’t the guy swinging his c0ck around in front of a man who sucks other men’s c0cks also quite the pervert?”

“What?”

By then Jeong Mok was already wearing a t-shirt, staring right at him. That heavy gaze descended slowly and stopped around his crotch. At that moment, Haeri saw it. His large Adam’s apple, fitting to that deep voice, moved with a gulp.

“Ugh! Don’t swallow! You’re crazy, seriously!”

“When people see something tasty, anyone’s mouth waters.”

The constant teasing made his head ache. He shouldn’t have even spoken to him in the first place.

“Forget it. Just help me find my clothes. I don’t know where they are.”

Jeong Mok chuckled and opened one of the drawers. He pulled out a short-sleeved shirt and shorts similar to what Haeri usually wore. But there was no underwear.

“What about underwear?”

“Are you planning to wear it?”

“What, you don’t?”

“You didn’t yesterday.”

Haeri lost his words. He really wanted to hit him. Should he smash that tall nose with his fist, or smack that annoying mouth, or maybe just kick the crotch spewing such sly nonsense like the hump on a croaky old man?

“Alright, alright. Hyung was wrong. Stop glaring at me.”

Jeong Mok opened the drawer with his own underwear and pulled out light blue briefs. Haeri snatched them, unfolded them, and checked. They were definitely his size.

“Then why were these in there? I didn’t see them before.”

“Because it’s the underwear drawer? They were underneath.”

“Then why are we sharing a drawer when there are so many others?”

“Just because?”

Something didn’t sit right. But if he pressed, he might hear a scarier answer, so he decided to let it go. Fortunately, underwear was just underwear. Once he was dressed, Jeong Mok came over and ruffled his wet hair.

“You’ll catch a cold. Let’s dry it quickly.”

“And whose fault is it that it took so long?”

“Sorry.”

Jeong Mok pressed his lips firmly to Haeri’s crown. He was always kind, but he was also overly kind at times like this, and that made his sulky mood dissolve too easily. Muttering inwardly the words he couldn’t say aloud, Haeri let him do it.

After blow-drying Haeri’s wet hair, Jeong Mok sat him on the bed and removed the silicone cover he had been wearing the whole time.

“You had this all along?”

“I found it earlier.”

“I didn’t see it when I unpacked your hospital things.”

“……”

Even if he noticed, Haeri could just deny it. While he kept silent, Jeong Mok unwound the sweat-damp bandages, even if no water had gotten in. He wet a towel and carefully wiped between Haeri’s toes.

“It tickles.”

“Bear with it a little.”

He removed the old gauze, disinfected the surgical scar with the hospital ointment, placed fresh sterile gauze, and wrapped it with new bandages.

“The swelling’s gone down a lot. Good.”

As he tidied the scattered things, Jeong Mok planted another kiss on Haeri’s crown. It was so unconscious and natural that it was actually the one receiving it who felt embarrassed. Clearly, his words about not provoking him too much because Haeri was already cute just as he was weren’t empty or exaggerated.

Dinner was high-end hotel sushi. Once Jeong Mok made a call, it arrived in less than an hour.

“Don’t you get bored staying home all the time?”

As they sat at the table, Jeong Mok handed him chopsticks and asked.

“Not really? Just playing with Gom-i is already tiring. And I still shouldn’t push myself.”

He picked up his favorite salmon sushi first. The slices were thick and tasty.

“But staying at home every day feels stifling.”

“It’s not like this is a hospital.”

At that, Jeong Mok cracked open a can of beer and meanly poured Haeri that damn barley tea. He looked back and forth between the beer and the barley tea, silently protesting. Jeong Mok pushed another glass at him, saying, “No drinking when you’re on medication.”

It was barley tea again. Wasn’t it mockery to give barley tea to someone who couldn’t drink beer?

“Isn’t it a bit much to enjoy that in front of a patient all by yourself?”

“What does a baby need alcohol for.”

He pouted at being treated like some fourteen-year-old.

“And yet you sure didn’t hesitate when you were sucking baby’s pepper.”

“Right. Baby’s pepper is so small. If I eat it twice it’ll wear away and disappear. Let’s eat a lot and grow up fast.”

“Ah, really, can’t you just stop talking.”

He never lost a single argument. He’s a foul-mouthed pervert.

Haeri got carried away and polished off the sushi. Just like Jeong Mok said, he was a growing kid, so he ate it up eagerly. Jeong Mok looked pleased just watching him eat, he gave up the wagyu sushi to him. Picking out only the tasty ones was a child’s privilege, so Haeri didn’t decline.

“You eat meat well. How about going out for dinner together tomorrow.”

“To eat wagyu?”

“Let’s do that.”

“Nice.”

Ordinary conversation passed between them while eating. Once full, Haeri brought up what he had been thinking about earlier.

“But, hyung.”

“Yeah.”

Jeong Mok, who was clearing away the empty lunch boxes, refilled his cup with cold barley tea as he answered.

“You have someone among your employees who does searching for people and background checks, right?”

“I do. Why?”

“If it’s okay, could I ask for some help too?”

At that, Jeong Mok stared at me silently.

“Is there someone you want to find?”

“Yes.”

It wasn’t like he had done anything wrong, but Haeri spun the barley tea cup in his hands nervously. Jeong Mok, who had stood to tidy up, sat back down at the table.

“Who?”

“Me. I found the community for the orphanage where I grew up. And I found some old photos of me there.”

“…Really?”

The reply that came back sounded oddly cold. Haeri lifted his eyes slightly and searched his expression. The faint smile was still there. But he instantly sensed something was amidd.

It wasn’t anger. It wasn’t irritation. But Jeong Mok looked somehow uncomfortable. Like when a subject you don’t want to talk about suddenly comes up without warning, and even if you don’t show it openly, the sourness still lingers.

‘Were you worried I might say something about you stalking me?’

Or maybe he just felt uncomfortable using company staff for personal matters. No, that was not it. If that were the case, he would not have set up a temporary office in the hospital room or assigned him bodyguards. Even the lunchbox he just ate was bought by the secretary. Jeong Mok must really have been feeling guilty about his stalking.

“I’m okay with that now, hyung.”

“Hm?”

“Investigating me and things like that.”

Haeri made sure to specify clearly, since a careless word could pile on more misunderstandings.

“With your personality, you must have been worried about me to go that far. If our positions were reversed, I would have done the same. Of course you should have checked where I was and what I was doing.”

“Ah.”

So it was this. Jeong Mok’s expression visibly improved. His stiff facial muscles relaxed, and he soon let out a small sigh.

“You knew everything.”

“What do you mean. You even got caught buying the house next door. Of course I knew. I’m not an idiot.”

“That’s true. Our Haeri is a lot smarter than he looks.”

Smarter than he looked? That was rude. Did it mean that him being cute was really just because he looked dumb?

“How many times do I have to say it. I lost my memory, not my intelligence.”

“Right. That’s true.”

Only then did Jeong Mok laugh like someone who had just realized something. Light burst out around his handsome face that looked like a daily pictorial. It felt like someone had switched on LED lights for a photoshoot. Haeri should have gotten angry, but the glare blinded him and he lost the timing.

More than half the reason he had begged the scary-looking man for a kiss was that radiant face. The rest was the affection and kindness Jeong Mok showed him, and his exceptional wealth. Call him shallow if you want, but so what.

At least Jeong Mok had not resorted to pathetic schemes to reduce or withhold compensation like something out of a modern-day documentary. If things had turned into a crime story or something hardcore, he might have skipped calling 119 and gone straight to researching how to dispose of a body. Compared to that, stalking out of love looked like a romance drama, even cute.

“No matter how strange or bizarre things you do, hyung, I don’t mind. When you’re this handsome and this rich, overlooking a few flaws is just common sense for modern people.”

“Uh, right. Thanks?”

“But wrong is still wrong, so that means you owe me.”

“Alright. What do you want?”

Seeing Jeong Mok smile as he set aside his guilt, Haeri’s face also relaxed. It was the perfect chance to get all kinds of things out of him.