The kiss didn’t stop with just one. As the sound of smacking lips increased, the expressions of the people standing in front of them beca increasingly bizarre. Behind the mask, Uijae’s face twisted awkwardly, caught sowhere between amusent and anger. He eventually scowled. Not that anyone could see it with the mask on.
"Turn your heads."
"......"
Baewon-woo and Hong Yeseong obediently turned toward the wall, looking solemn. Mackerel lowered his head, but Uijae could still feel his eyes darting glances. He growled.
"I can see your eyes moving, you know."
"......"
Finally, even Mackerel turned to face the wall. Damn it. Uijae adjusted his hold on Sa-young, who had buried his face into Uijae’s neck and was nuzzling. He sighed.
"Where should I lay him down? There's got to be a place to rest, right?"
"Uh, well, yeah. It’s on the top floor."
He had to carry this guy all the way to the top floor? Despite this being a research facility, it seed crowded with people. The idea of paparazzi ca creeping into his mind. Mackerel, who might have been thinking the sa thing, or perhaps conscious of the stares, started whistling nonchalantly.
What was this, was Lee Sa-young a cat or sothing? Why did he always prefer high places? Just then, Baewon-woo raised his hand awkwardly.
"You don’t have to carry him. I could take him up for you...."
"......"
If he handed Sa-young over to Baewon-woo, he could escape without causing a fuss. No chance of his na or face getting spread around. But Uijae could already predict the storm Sa-young would cause when he woke up. He’d cling to him, whining about being abandoned and disappointed.
'......'
Honestly, that was just an excuse. The truth was, he wanted to do this himself.
Biting down hard on his lip, Uijae finally said, "Lead the most discreet, quiet, and empty way possible."
---
Outside the building, Baewon-woo sucked on a power gel as a rattling, beat-up Damas approached. Mackerel stepped out of the driver’s seat and waved. Baewon-woo leaned against the Damas, grumbling.
"Why are you driving this old wreck? You guys are loaded."
"Old wreck? This is the cherished partner of Madam Jang Mi-sook."
"I ant it’s an antique. You know, old and sturdy."
Baewon-woo gave a double thumbs-up. Mackerel scoffed and glanced up at the building. J had gone up with Sa-young in his arms, and it had been an hour without any word. He couldn’t get the image of Lee Sa-young clinging to J like a child out of his head. The sa guy who used to co around to threaten him, give him bizarre orders, or dump impossible tasks on him.
‘Ah, my brain is filled with images I wish I hadn’t seen.’
It literally felt like his brain had been contaminated. The ntal shock was too great to let go. Mackerel sighed and held out his hand to Baewon-woo, who tossed him the empty power gel packet. Mackerel frowned.
"Not trash, I’m asking for compensation. For ntal damages."
"Why are you looking for compensation here? You don’t look injured to ."
"No, I’ve been ntally traumatized! Ever since I saw what happened earlier, my head’s been spinning. I can’t even drive properly."
"You weren’t going to drive anyway. You always let the goldfish handle it."
"You have no idea how hard it is to control those goldfish."
"Yeah, yeah. Shut up already. Compensation, huh… Ah!"
Baewon-woo grabbed Hong Yeseong by the back of the neck and dragged him over. Hong let out a half-hearted groan as he was pulled. Baewon-woo dramatically bowed his head.
"While you’re at it, could you take this guy too? We need to head back soon. We kind of snuck out."
"Uh, are you seriously leaving with a fugitive...?"
"We’re out here trying to stop the end of the world, who’s going to complain? Just sneak him back in."
"This isn’t compensation. This is an added burden."
Mackerel looked over the dazed Hong Yeseong, who had been speaking with all the wisdom of a sage earlier but now seed entirely out of it. He poked Hong’s cheek with a finger, eliciting a delayed "Eh?" in response. Useless. Mackerel clicked his tongue.
"He’s out of it."
"Sotis he gets like this. It’s no big deal."
If this wasn’t a big deal, what on earth would be? Mackerel quickly calculated in his head. As irritating as it was, this high-profile sage was still worth more than the hassle of dealing with him. Sighing in defeat, he took the limp Hong Yeseong.
"Just this once, okay? Next ti, I’m charging extra."
"Of course, of course."
As Mackerel cramd Hong Yeseong into the backseat of the Damas, a tall figure in black erged from the building. It was J, wearing a long black coat. His slightly damp silver hair glead in the light as he awkwardly walked over to Baewon-woo.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"Oh, no problem at all... Wait, what’s that sll?"
Baewon-woo sniffed the air suspiciously. Mackerel, bent over in the back of the Damas, glanced back with his piercing navy-blue eyes, taking in the sight of J’s disheveled clothes. A loose white sweatshirt under the coat, pants a little too long, and that familiar black leather coat. The damp hair. Putting all that information together, he arrived at an answer he really didn’t want.
And before he could suppress it, Baewon-woo shouted, "Ah! That’s the body wash I left for Sa-young in the bathroom!"
"......"
I did *not* want to know that! Mackerel barely resisted the urge to slap Baewon-woo’s mouth shut.
I don’t need this information! I don’t care that Lee Sa-young kissed J more than five tis, or that J showered in Sa-young’s room and borrowed his clothes! I’m not interested in other people’s love lives! Okay, maybe I am, but I really don’t want to know! Knowing this, I’m sure J will kill ! Mackerel’s hand shook with the urge to strangle soone. Baewon-woo, however, smiled obliviously.
"Wow, it’s still lingering! Nice scent, right?"
"Haha, yeah. Is it?"
"And those clothes suit you too! You look like a student. It’s great!"
Baewon-woo flashed another double thumbs-up. J, barely managing a hollow smile, scanned his surroundings quickly. Then he caught sight of Mackerel, who was struggling to stay composed as he held onto the Damas. J shot him a sharp look. Even without words, the aning was clear.
We need to get out of here, now.
Mackerel was more than on board. He quickly opened the driver’s side door and climbed in. At the sa ti, his goldfish assistants flung open the passenger side door. Mackerel raised his voice.
"Oh, right! I just rembered I have an important eting with a client. I’ve got to go right away! If you don’t hop in now, I’m leaving without you!"
"Ah, yes... Well, we’ll be off then."
J swiftly climbed into the passenger seat with the agility of soone escaping a monster. As they both hurriedly buckled their seatbelts, Baewon-woo approached the Damas cautiously.
"By the way, how’s Sa-young?"
"...I left him on the bed. He should wake up soon."
"I see. Thanks a lot. Thanks to you, we’re wrapping up early today... Hahaha. Have a safe trip!"
Mackerel slamd his foot on the gas pedal. Baewon-woo’s figure quickly receded into the distance. Once he was nothing but a dot on the horizon, they gradually eased off the accelerator. Both of them let out long sighs.
"Haa…"
"Haa…"
The scent of body wash, still clinging to J’s damp hair and neck, wafted through the air. No, I don’t want to know. Mackerel quietly rolled down the driver’s side window as far as it would go. The Damas rattled in ti with their unsettled hearts. Even so, he couldn’t stop his eyes from glancing over to the right.
And it seed like J, slouching in his seat, t his gaze. No, they definitely made eye contact.
Whether Sa-young had picked out the clothes or J had grabbed them himself, the tags on his new outfit were still sticking out from his neck. J, too, rolled down the passenger window all the way, letting his hair whip in the wind. After a brief silence, J leaned his arm out the window and spoke.
"Hey."
"Yeah, hyung-nim."
"Act like you don’t know."
"......"
"Paparazzi… Fuck."
J muttered a string of curses under his breath as he ran his hand over his mask.
"If any of this leaks out... You’ll pay for it with your life. Got it?"
"......"
"Why aren’t you answering?"
M
ackerel swallowed hard, glancing nervously at J. Years of being an informant and digging for juicy stories were hard instincts to suppress. And finally…
"Did you two…?"
He couldn’t stop himself.
At the sa ti, there was the sound of teeth grinding. A strong hand grabbed his collar and shook him violently.
"Do you think we did?!"
"Aah! I’m driving! I’m driving! We’ll crash! Ah! You’re going to wreck the car!"
"Tell the goldfish to grab the wheel!"
As the ruckus continued, in the backseat, Hong Yeseong quietly opened his eyes. His glowing emotion-sensing ability spun to life once again.
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