Compliance and Contradictions

“…….”

Yi-seo shut his mouth tight. Fine, he thought. So what if it’s a little unpleasant? It was better than making contact with the hard marble floor. Knowing Cha Gye-won, his threat wasn’t empty talk; he would definitely throw him. Yi-seo didn’t want to endure any unnecessary pain.

“Are you uncomfortable?”

Gye-won asked, as if he actually cared. It was impossible that he didn’t know he was the cause of both the bruise and the discomfort, so Yi-seo wondered what his true intention was for asking.

“Just a little….”

“Deal with it, then.”

“Yes.”

The man was the definition of arrogant. After being carried around in Gye-won’s grip for what felt like an eternity, Yi-seo was finally set down in front of the bathroom. The bathroom, decorated with small statues, featured a bathtub large enough for three grown men to wash in at once.

“Wash up and come out. I’ll bring you some clothes.”

“No, no. I—”

Thud.

Pushing Yi-seo inside, Gye-won slammed the door shut right in his face. Yi-seo wanted nothing more than to go home, but it seemed he was destined to spend the night here. Left all alone in the cavernous bathroom, he stared blankly at the closed door.

“Ah….”

They say you can survive even if you’re dragged away by a tiger as long as you keep your wits about you. But in front of Cha Gye-won, keeping his wits felt utterly useless. Take the situation at the bar, for instance. He had cut ties with his family seven years ago—how on earth did Gye-won know he was the eldest son?

“What kind of person is he?”

In just one day, there wasn’t a single part of him—from his hair to his collar—that hadn’t been grabbed. Even considering the incident from three years ago, this was excessive. It was a mistake they made together, so why was he so obsessed with devouring him?

“It’s not like I committed a crime.”

He didn’t even remember sleeping with him. The more he thought about it, the more unfair it felt, but he had no other choice. Ten times 500 million won was 5 billion won. He didn’t even have 500,000 won to his name right now; where would he get 5 billion won to terminate the contract?

“I can’t even pay this month’s interest….”

The debt he had taken on for the company alone was 300 million won. If the debt increased any further, he wouldn’t even be able to live in the rented apartment he had barely managed to keep.

“Sigh.”

With a weak hand, Yi-seo turned on the shower. The warm water began to soothe his weary body.

***************************************

As expected, the clothes Gye-won gave him were far too large. It was a white short-sleeved T-shirt and navy shorts, but the waist was so loose it felt like they would slip off with every step.

‘I saw he had plenty of other clothes, though….’

Gye-won approached Yi-seo, who was huddling with his hands tightly gripping the waistband. Gye-won had just come from washing up in the downstairs bathroom.

“Are you done?”

“Yes? Yes!”

“Then why are you standing like that?”

“Oh… just because.”

A fresh, clean scent of water wafted off the newly washed Yi-seo. Droplets of water he hadn’t dried properly trickled down his skin.

“Are you worried I’m going to eat you?”

“…….”

Caught off guard, Yi-seo couldn’t find an answer. He felt uneasy remembering how Gye-won had buried his nose in his neck earlier.

“Ha. You’re hilarious.”

“You said we’ve slept together before.”

They say the first time is hard, but the second time is easy.

“Let me make one thing clear.”

Gye-won leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. Well, it wasn’t like he was completely uninterested, but seeing Yi-seo acting as guarded as a little chick was annoying.

“That night, the one who lit the fire first was you, CEO.”

“Pardon??”

Startled, Yi-seo dropped his towel. Gye-won caught it and drove the point home smoothly.

“You lunged at me, so I simply obliged.”

“Don’t joke! I was drunk, how could I have the mind for that?”

“You hugged me first and wouldn’t let go. If you don’t believe me, we can try it again. Maybe then you’ll remember.”

Gye-won said as he began to dry Yi-seo’s hair with the towel.

“No, but still… going all the way to… having relations….”

“Ah. That part, I admit I was the one who devoured you.”

“Isn’t it a crime to do that to a drunk person…?”

“So I should have just whetted my appetite and stopped?”

Yi-seo was speechless at Gye-won’s shamelessness.

“Still.”

“Even though you clearly enjoyed it?”

“I-I’m going to sleep.”

His whole body felt like it was on fire. Gye-won didn’t miss his chance and caught Yi-seo as he tried to scurry away.

“Where are you going? You said you were sleeping. My room is right here.”

“I-I’ll sleep on the sofa.”

“Go inside.”

“The sofa looks soft… and wide… and it might be uncomfortable if we sleep together. Or it looks like you have a guest room….”

“Are you trying to keep your distance now?”

The rambling Yi-seo couldn’t meet Gye-won’s eyes.

“After we’ve already done everything there is to do?”

He thought Yi-seo was cute, and now he was acting even cuter.

“It’s not that….”

“I hate it when people don’t listen to me.”

Gye-won opened his bedroom door and jerked his chin toward it.

“Ah.”

Hating it when people don’t listen… no matter how I look at it…

“That makes you a psycho….”

“……You really do say everything on your mind, don’t you?”

At this point, it was almost absurd. If he was going to be that bold, he should at least stop trembling.

“I-I’m sorry….”

“Are you going to go sleep in my room quietly, or do you want to play a game called ‘Retrieve Your Memories’?”

Understanding exactly what kind of “game” Gye-won was implying, Yi-seo slipped through the open bedroom door instantly.

*************************************

The room he entered was simple at a glance. To put it nicely, it was minimalist; to put it bluntly, it was desolate. In that vast room, there was only one large bed and a single tall floor lamp. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Yi-seo submitted his head to Cha Gye-won.

“Do you usually sleep without drying your hair?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“It’s a hassle.”

“From now on, dry it before you sleep.”

“…….”

“No answer?”

“Ah, no, I will.”

The hands drying his hair were fast. He was afraid that at any moment, Gye-won might grab a handful of hair and shake him like he did in the car. Though he was relatively resilient, sudden physical impacts were naturally terrifying.

“So, why did you go there?”

“Pardon?”

“The gay bar.”

Gye-won asked in a low voice from behind him.

“To check….”

“Check what?”

“Well. Three years ago…. That we….”

“Slept together?”

“Yes, yes. That.”

Yi-seo wished he would use more euphemisms, but Gye-won was not that kind of person. Every word he chose was raw and direct.

“You went there because you didn’t believe me?”

“It wasn’t that I didn’t believe you….”

“To have so little trust in me…. Who am I supposed to trust while I work? Hmm?”

“I didn’t have any other intentions. It’s just…. It’s better to be sure.”

The soft bed felt like a bed of nails. Gye-won was already twirling a lock of Yi-seo’s hair around his index finger.

“I guess I look like a total thug to the CEO. Even after you gave me your thumbprint.”

Gye-won stopped drying the hair, pulled the lock he was twirling, and even unplugged the hairdryer.

“I believe you! I believe you. I really believe you!”

Afraid he was about to have his hair pulled out, Yi-seo shook his head up and down vigorously. His freshly dried, fluffy hair brushed against Gye-won’s collarbone.

“A person without trust is a bad person. Didn’t you learn that when you were a kid?”

We’ve barely known each other, and he’s talking about trust. In ethics class, Yi-seo had always believed in the theory of innate evil over innate goodness. And Cha Gye-won seemed like someone who perfectly embodied the theory of innate evil.

When Yi-seo remained silent, Gye-won applied more pressure to his hand.

“Ack!”

“I hate bad people, too.”

“I… I’m a good person.”

“You are?”

“Yes, yes.”

“How good?”

“Very, very, very much.”

Yi-seo hurriedly provided the answer Gye-won wanted while glancing nervously at the hand still holding his hair.

“You know what? Good people don’t wander around outside after 10 PM.”

The statement, phrased like a question, was a subtle command. What “good person” in the world checked the time before going out? Even high schoolers stayed out until dawn, yet here he was, in his thirties, about to be given a curfew.

“Uh…. Even Cinderella stayed out until 12….”

“……Do you want to be mistreated like her?”

“No.”

“Then why do you keep talking back?”

“……I-I won’t.”

“Since you’re a good person, you won’t be wandering around at those hours from now on.”

“…….”

“Understood?”

“Well….”

“I asked if you understood.”

“Yes, yes, yes. I won’t. I don’t usually like going out at night anyway.”

“Good. Since I’m also a good person, I’ll believe you.”

The definition of a good person is dead. Gye-won smiled brightly and let go of Yi-seo’s hair. He watched intently as Yi-seo tried to smooth down his messy hair, only to reach out and muss it up again.

“Ah….”

“It’s late. Go to sleep. Now.”

Flump.

Gye-won gave Yi-seo a light push, toppling him over. It was already past 2 AM. A heavy duvet was draped over Yi-seo as he fell helplessly onto the bed.

“I’ll wake you up tomorrow.”

“Yes…. Goodnight.”

“You too, CEO.”

Gye-won let out a chuckle as he watched Yi-seo mumble, already half-asleep now that he was lying down.

He was a fascinating person. He was terrified, yet strangely bold; he tried to read the room, yet was completely oblivious. He seemed guarded, but as soon as his body felt a little comfortable, he became completely defenseless.

“Are you very sleepy?”

“A little….”

Even now, he was blinking sluggishly in a stranger’s bed.

“Ah. You’re such an idiot.”

“M-me?”

Startled, Yi-seo, who had closed his eyes, snapped them open. Gye-won was lying next to him, watching.

“Yes.”

“Ah…. I see.”

What do you mean ‘I see’? This idiot would probably nod even if he were being cursed at.

“CEO.”

“……Yes?”

“Do you act this stupidly everywhere else too?”

“I don’t think I’m stupid….”

“Ha…. Just go to sleep.”

Yi-seo didn’t even have the energy to argue against the rude remark. He was exhausted after a day full of unexpected events. Besides, Gye-won’s house was very warm.

Unlike Yi-seo’s house, where he never turned up the heat even in the dead of winter, the air here was toasty. Combined with the cozy duvet, his eyes closed naturally.