The Country Life Diary of a Gangster's Secretary - c64

This chapter is paid for by Nemuru!

The places Ihyeok’s touch reached felt hot as if they would burn. Hyeseong clenched his innocent fists tightly to avoid showing it as much as possible.

“I’d feel sad if it left a scar.”

Ihyeok kept rubbing Hyeseong’s forehead, which had the biggest wound. A careful and worried touch. Why didn’t he realize it until now? That this person cherished him as he was.

“Ahjussi.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry. For saying that at the hospital then.”

Hyeseong’s plain voice echoed in the kitchen. 

“No matter how I think about it, it wasn’t something I should have said to the person who risked danger and saved me.”

“Do you even know?”

“Yes. I was just angry. I felt like I was being a burden to you. I hated myself so much because I knew I ruined an important deal. I couldn’t understand from my perspective that you threw away all the important things, but now I know. That you simply did it out of pure concern for me, that I was that precious to you.”

Hyeseong’s upright eyes sparkled. Ihyeok was momentarily engulfed in an indescribable emotion.

“Dohyun said, we’ve known each other for 6 years, so it wasn’t just work the whole time, right? To you, I’m a younger brother you’ve known for a long time, so it’s natural to worry that much… I was being sensitive.”

“Oh. Right…”

A younger brother he’s known for a long time. It overlapped with what Sungjin had said. Strangely, why did those words not resonate with him? Why did doubts keep floating around? Was it really right for him to think of Hyeseong that way?

“I’m sorry too. I should have explained the situation to you first.”

“That wasn’t your fault.”

Hyeseong smiled slightly and took the teacup with the coffee finished brewing and left the kitchen first. Ihyeok stared at Hyeseong’s back for a moment and then followed.

“But what did you really do with Kim Doo-sung?”

Hyeseong asked, fiddling with the hot teacup.

“Why. Are you worried I really killed him or something?”

At the smooth voice, Hyeseong’s eyes narrowed.

“I really handed him over to the police.”

“The police stepped up? Even though they couldn’t catch evidence or anything.”

“It doesn’t matter. He turned himself in.”

“Ah.”

Hyeseong roughly understood. Kim Doo-sung probably went to the police station to survive, unable to bear Ihyeok’s assault, rather than to truly repent for his crimes.

From what he heard, Kim Doo-sung turned himself in and Ihyeok had his feet tied to the police for a while to testify as a reference.

“But how could you think of doing such a dangerous thing alone?”

Ihyeok’s nagging flew in as if it was the right moment. If Dohyun’s family hadn’t noticed you were gone that day, what would have happened, if they were a little late, it really could have been a big deal, from why you got involved with that thug in the first place, the scolding continued without rest.

“At least tell me. Then I would have taken care of it.”

“I didn’t want that.”

Despite the barrage of nagging, Hyeseong sipped his coffee leisurely. 

“I’m not a Taesung person anymore, and I have nothing to do with you, so I didn’t want to bother you with Kim Doo-sung’s matter for no reason. I also thought I could handle it alone.”

At Hyeseong’s calm words, Ihyeok sighed as if he couldn’t win. Since he was a 20-year-old college student, Hyeseong had been casually hanging out with thugs and seeing their order and horrible scenes. So maybe that’s why Sungjin and the old organization members said he was used to these places and didn’t know what was scary, but only Ihyeok knew.

It wasn’t that he was used to a thug’s den, but that Hyeseong’s nature was originally made that way. He had no fear, didn’t back down from most things, and when hardships came, he sought ways to survive first rather than being discouraged.

Thanks to that, Hyeseong adapted well after joining Taesung without any trouble, but there were more than a couple of times when Ihyeok’s heart sank because of Hyeseong like that. It was amazing how the kid didn’t know how scary the world was.

“Anyway, don’t do that from now on. I only have one heart, Hyeseong. You’re the only one who’s shortening my life.”

Then Hyeseong laughed softly. Ihyeok’s hand froze abruptly. How long had it been since he saw that harmless smile? That laughter was like that. It resembled a clean and pristine snowy path early in the morning, where the first snow had fallen in a fluffy pile and no one’s footprints had been imprinted.

There was one thing Hyeseong liked about deciding to move to the countryside. It was that he smiled more often than before. Like the photo Dohyun sent before, and now too.

“Ahjussi?”

“…Yeah?”

“What are you thinking so deeply about?”

“Nothing. It’s nothing.”

In the past, when Hyeseong smiled, he couldn’t be more fulfilled and happy. But why was he getting anxious now? Why did he think he didn’t want to show that smile to others?

“Hmm, but Hyeseong.”

“Yes.”

“Why are you calling me ahjussi again?”

Come to think of it, he did. From the last time they fought at the hospital until now, Hyeseong had been consistently calling him ahjussi.

“It’s a bit much to keep calling you that when you’re not even my boss anymore.”

When they were fighting, that title came out uncontrollably due to emotions, but after carefully considering it, Hyeseong thought this was much better than calling him CEO if he wanted to break away from the bounds of Taesung. But he didn’t expect Ihyeok to notice it this quickly.

“That’s true, but… there are other titles too. Like hyung.”

“Didn’t you say that before too?”

Ihyeok avoided his gaze while clearing his throat as if he had been poked for no reason. Since the days in the Taesung faction, Hyeseong had called Ihyeok ahjussi. Considering that other members respectfully called him hyung-nim, it was a very unconventional title at the time. At first, the members were conscious and didn’t like it, but later they must have gotten used to it and just lived with it.

“Hyung is a bit much when we’re 8 years apart.”

“Why, what’s wrong with it?”

“I’m just comfortable with ahjussi.”

Of course, it wasn’t that Ihyeok didn’t like that title either. But when Hyeseong called him ahjussi, he couldn’t get rid of the feeling that he seemed very old. He didn’t know why it was so unpleasant to hear now.

After that, Ihyeok asked several times to be called hyung, but he eventually crumbled before the iron-willed Hyeseong.

“I’ll get going now. You need to rest too, Ahjussi.”

The coffee cups had long been empty. They lost track of time because they had a comfortable conversation for the first time in a while.

“Hyeseong, one more thing.”

“What is it?”

“Is what you said about being uncomfortable still valid?”

It was uncomfortable. What lover who has an unrequited love would feel comfortable with the other person not knowing their feelings and only approaching them? But Hyeseong knew now. That being so stubbornly pushing away and putting up walls wasn’t the only way.

He must have been scared. Because Ihyeok’s feelings were different from his own, because he was someone who couldn’t reciprocate these feelings. He was afraid of confirming that, so he put up walls and even ignored Ihyeok’s feelings. 

And as Dohyun said, that wasn’t the right way.

“No.”

Ihyeok’s expression brightened slightly at Hyeseong’s words.

“I was more like that to you then because I had to leave Taesung and adapt to a new place. But it’s okay now.”

Hyeseong deliberately added a lie. From Ihyeok’s perspective, he might have found it strange that Hyeseong suddenly pushed him away, saying he was uncomfortable. Fortunately, Ihyeok seemed to agree with those words and nodded.

“Hyeseong.”

Hyeseong slowly raised his head as he put on his shoes at the front door. 

“You have nothing more to say to me?”

After some thought, Hyeseong nodded.

“Yes. I don’t.”

“…Okay. Go carefully.”

Hyeseong bowed his head and went out of the house.

Left alone in the quiet house, Ihyeok stood near the front door and took a big look around the house. 

“Ha.”

Then he soon ran his hand through his hair as if frustrated.

“I think I’m losing control more and more.”

The cozy scent faintly permeating the house. Hyeseong’s lingering pheromone scent remained in every corner of Ihyeok’s house.

* * *

“Hyeseong!”

When he returned home, Dohyun welcomed Hyeseong with his arms wide open.

“What, all of a sudden.”

“Did you have a good talk with the CEO?”

Hyeseong lightly avoided Dohyun and stroked the approaching Bokshil.

“Yeah.”

“How was it?”

“Hmm, refreshing.”

Right? Dohyun was smiling brightly, not leaving Hyeseong’s side, as if he was in a very good mood for some reason. Maybe because of that, Hyeseong also burst into laughter.

“Dohyun, thank you. For telling me that.”

Thanks to Dohyun, he was able to come to his senses. He realized that the way he was doing things was not right, and it was only hurting others and gnawing at himself, so Hyeseong was able to pull himself together. If Dohyun hadn’t told him that in the hospital room, he would have definitely given Ihyeok an indelible wound for life.

Hyeseong thought he was fortunate to have a friend who was bright and innocent but knew how to give sincere advice.

“Hey, what’s there to say between friends? You helped me out several times when I was about to be scammed too. Think of it as a repayment for that.”

In fact, Dohyun had a big mouth and was on the verge of being scammed numerous times. When he was a college student with even less sense than now, he often found himself in danger, so Hyeseong had saved Dohyun many times with sharp words.

“I finally realized that pushing Ahjussi away isn’t everything.”

“Huh? Could those words possibly…”

Dohyun poked Hyeseong with his elbow as if expecting something.

“I don’t know what you’re expecting, but I’m going to stop my unrequited love as I have been. I’ll give up my feelings for Ahjussi too.”

When Hyeseong said with a chuckle, Dohyun pouted his lips as if deflated.

“Then what are you going to do now?”

“Well. I’ll have to think about it slowly.”

A bitter smile hung on Hyeseong’s lips. He made up with Ihyeok and apologized. They could probably go back to their previous relationship, but there was still an unchanging fact.

It was his unreciprocated feelings.

This chapter is paid for by Nemuru!