Chapter 6

　　It was absurd. If anyone should be apologizing, it was Sujeong, not him.

　　“I didn’t do anything wrong.”

　　“No, you did a lot of things wrong.”

　　Ihyun was at a loss for words.

　　There was just no getting through to him. Sick of this, Ihyun stood up to leave, but Sujeong was faster. He planted both arms on the backrest of the sofa, caging Ihyun between them.

　　“Move your arms.”

　　“Apologize.”

　　He shouldn’t have come. Thinking they could actually have a rational conversation had been his first mistake. As Sujeong leaned in close, Ihyun tilted his head back. The distance between them was far, far too close.

　　“Why did you lock your door? Why did you go to school first? Why did you talk to another kid? I told you not to. Why did you give him your gym uniform?” He continued.

　　“What did you talk about with my mom? Why did you come to my room so late? What have you been doing alone all this time?”

　　The manic gleam in his eyes made him look insane. Sujeong fired off question after question without pausing for breath. He even picked a fight over whether Ihyun had enjoyed sleeping comfortably without him.

　　“You… Do you realize you’re the one acting like a fucking homo right now?”

　　Sujeong’s expression remained unchanged.

　　“You’re acting like a lunatic. Stop it.”

　　“Ihyun. So you’re not going to apologize?”

　　This is the last straw. How are you going to handle the fallout again?

　　Sujeong whispered softly into Ihyun’s ear. In a fight between the two of them, Ihyun was always bound to lose.

　　“You promised to listen to me, but if you keep acting like this, I won’t have a choice either.”

　　Sujeong continued, sounding almost pitiful about Ihyun’s stubbornness. Ihyun closed his eyes. The cash inside his workbook, his father knocking on his door for the first time in a while, Sujeong’s undeniable, suffocating presence—it all tormented him.

　　“…I’m sorry.”

　　“Repeat after me. I was wrong, Jeong.”

　　“I was wrong, Jeong.”

　　“From now on, I’ll do exactly as Jeong tells me.”

　　“From now… on, I’ll do exactly as Jeong… tells me.”

　　“Beg for forgiveness.”

　　“Forgive me.”

　　Like a puppet, Ihyun parroted Sujeong’s words. Forgive me. Forgiveness. Ihyun met his own reflection in Sujeong’s dark eyes. Subservient, poor, pathetic Kang Ihyun.

　　Sujeong’s eyes curved into crescents as he beamed a radiant smile, still keeping Ihyun caged against the sofa. It was a thoroughly satisfying result.

　　Ihyun lived with bated breath. He did everything he could to cater to Sujeong’s moods and please him. It wasn’t even that difficult. Whenever Sujeong spoke, he just had to nod a few times and say, “Yeah.”

　　If he feigned interest in Sujeong’s every action and asked questions he didn’t even care about, Sujeong would happily answer. When Sujeong came over at night and stole his pillow, Ihyun got new bedding and offered it to him. Sujeong ended up liking it so much that he stubbornly insisted on using only that bedding, regardless of the season.

　　His monotonous routine of commuting between home and school passed by smoothly enough. On nice days, Sujeong would take Ihyun out to the garden to relax. Ihyun would grab whatever caught his eye from Sujeong’s bookshelf and sit in the rocking chair under the shade of a tree, while Sujeong would lean against his shoulder and peek at the book he was reading.

　　He also sat by and watched Sujeong take his piano lessons. Ihyun had been given the chance to learn an instrument too, but he gave it up after realizing he had absolutely zero talent for it. Sujeong, on the other hand, was overflowing with talent.

　　It was one of the things that made him look like a true rich young master. Though he had played the cello and piano since childhood, Sujeong rarely showed much interest in them. He had quit the cello as he got older, but knowing that Ihyun watched him play the piano with a look of awe, Sujeong kept up with it.

　　Ihyun’s treatment improved day by day. He was no longer ignored at school. With Sujeong always by his side looking out for him, and Ihyun never bothering to interact with the other kids anyway, no problems ever arose. That didn’t change even as they moved up a grade.

　　New furniture was brought into Ihyun’s room. A queen-sized bed and a large wooden desk were the first things given to him. Sujeong had offered to move him to a room upstairs, but Ihyun refused.

　　He didn’t want to be closer to Sujeong’s room, and as a mere freeloader, he felt reluctant to accept anything more. Sujeong’s mother frequently pressed pocket money into Ihyun’s hands—allowances even his own father didn’t give him.

　　Already feeling burdened by the cell phone she had bought him, he hated the idea of spending the cash, so he just neatly hoarded it away inside his workbooks.

　　Sujeong managed Ihyun’s cell phone. Even though Ihyun hadn’t given his number to anyone, Sujeong would often take the phone and meticulously comb through his text messages and call logs. Ihyun barely had his father’s and Sujeong’s numbers memorized; he didn’t even know his own.

　　“Is there anything you want to eat?”

　　“Not really.”

　　“Should we eat what they left out for us?”

　　Sujeong’s parents frequently went on golf trips or traveled abroad. Sujeong was supposed to go with them, but because he found his parents difficult to be around and Ihyun didn’t have a passport, Sujeong stayed behind. On days when even the housekeeper was away, the two of them spent the entire day together.

　　“Can you make ramyeon? I’m craving it.”

　　“It’s bad for you. The housekeeper made braised ribs before she left.”

　　“Make it for me. Ihyun. Please?”

　　Guessing that even rich people were all the same when it came down to it, Ihyun put a pot of water on the stove.

　　“Go sit down. I’ll bring it out when it’s done.”

　　“Okay.”

　　He pulled out two packs of ramen hidden deep inside a drawer. He had told Sujeong, who was following him around the kitchen like a lost puppy, to go wait, but Sujeong only answered and didn’t budge.

　　“Let’s watch a movie tonight.”

　　“Sure.”

　　Sujeong and Ihyun sometimes watched movies at home. For the most part, Ihyun was fine with any genre, but he was absolutely terrible with horror. He didn’t even believe in ghosts, but whenever he was alone—especially in his dark room where the sunlight barely reached—the scenes from the movies would automatically pop into his head and terrify him.

　　Sujeong spent the entire movie watching Ihyun’s reactions instead of the screen, so he knew Ihyun’s habits well. For the most part, Sujeong put on movies Ihyun would enjoy, but sometimes he insisted on horror films. It was because he liked how Ihyun clung to his arm throughout the movie, and because it was the only way to get Ihyun to knock on his bedroom door—a room he would otherwise never set foot in to save his life.

　　“I really hate horror movies,” Ihyun muttered.

　　“I’ll think about it.”

　　Sujeong smiled brightly, clearly amused. He’s doing it on purpose again. Not wanting to provoke Sujeong, who was obviously enjoying this, Ihyun answered calmly.

　　“Okay, fine.”

　　Sujeong was a picky eater and rarely ate much. Ihyun watched Sujeong barely touching his ramen before finally setting down his own chopsticks.

　　“I’ll get you some rice. Just have one bite.”

　　“You don’t have to.”

　　“I want some anyway. Let’s eat together.”

　　“Hmm…”

　　Sujeong’s Mother had specifically asked him to make sure Sujeong ate, and Ihyun would be the one in trouble if she found out he’d only fed her precious son ramen while she was away. He rummaged through the fridge. Sujeong had a peculiar habit: he rarely did anything on his own. Whatever Ihyun did—or didn’t do—often dictated Sujeong’s choices.

　　“Let’s eat a little more, then head upstairs.”

　　“You really want to watch a movie, huh?”

　　“…Yeah.”

　　“Alright, let’s do that. We’ll go up as soon as we finish.”

　　Sujeong took the bowl of rice. The corners of his eyes curved into soft half-moons, looking immensely pleased. Ihyun stared at the scar he had left under Sujeong’s eye. It was undeniably a scar, yet it didn’t look like one. It decorated the skin beneath his eye like a delicate dimple or a striking beauty mark.

　　The kids in their class would even whisper about it with envy. He’s so lucky.

　　Sujeong knew it, too. He knew exactly how attractive that scar made him, how it drew a subtle, magnetic affection from others. Sometimes, he would slowly trace the skin beneath his eye with his fingertips, almost showing it off. Every time Ihyun saw him do that, a messy tangle of emotions gripped him. A sliver of guilt and an inexplicable, twisted euphoria ensnared him.

　　They watched the movie in Sujeong’s room. The massive screen and home theater system meant they didn’t have to go to an actual theater—which was great, except when horror movies were involved. Since neither of them were big on snacking, they sat on the sofa empty-handed. Fortunately, Sujeong hadn’t picked a horror film this time.

　　“What genre is this?”

　　“Romance.”

　　“Romance?”

　　“Thought it might be nice for a change. It’s fun.”

　　Sujeong turned up the volume. It was already dark outside, so there was no need to draw the curtains. Ihyun focused on the screen. The American teen romance was decent enough to kill time. Sujeong, however, seemed to have already lost interest; he leaned against Ihyun’s shoulder, idly playing with Ihyun’s fingers.

　　“Have you been to America?”

　　“Yeah. A long time ago. I was little, so I barely remember.”

　　“Do American kids actually party like that?”

　　Watching the characters throw massive house parties, drive cars despite being minors, and wander freely without assigned homerooms, Ihyun couldn’t help but ask.

　　“Who knows. I’m not sure.”

　　“It’s wild.”

　　It looked like a completely different world. Sujeong’s life was already an entirely different universe to him, yet Ihyun still felt a mild sense of culture shock. Sujeong looked at his amazed expression and smiled softly.

　　“We’ll find out when we go together someday.”

　　“Could we?”

　　“Why not? We have a house there, too.”

　　It’s your house, not ours. Ihyun swallowed the words before they could slip out. He wasn’t entirely sure why, but he had a feeling it would unnecessarily offend Sujeong.

　　“Right.”

　　“I have a relative who lives in the States, actually. It’s been a while since they moved.”

　　“Which relative?”

　　“He’s the same age as us. His name is Suhyun…”

　　Ihyun blinked.

　　“Let’s talk about something else. Anything else you want to ask?”

　　Enjoying the rare back-and-forth, Sujeong had tried to keep the conversation going but abruptly cut himself off. Suhyun. It sounded like a name Ihyun had heard somewhere before. Instead of pressing the issue, Ihyun turned his attention back to the movie. Sujeong stared intently at Ihyun’s profile for a long moment before burying his face in Ihyun’s chest.

　　“I’m sleepy.”

　　“Go brush your teeth and sleep, then.”

　　“Ihyun, I’m sleepy.”

　　It seemed they wouldn’t be finishing the movie after all. Whenever Sujeong threw these clingy little fits, Ihyun had no choice but to indulge him. He turned off the TV, coaxed Sujeong to his feet, and they headed to the bathroom together. In the en-suite, Ihyun’s toothbrush sat side by side with Sujeong’s. Finding their eye contact in the mirror too overwhelming, Ihyun stubbornly averted his gaze.

　　After washing up, they climbed into bed. Whether they were in Sujeong’s room or Ihyun’s, sleeping together was a given, though sometimes Sujeong’s room actually felt more comfortable. With only a dim lamp left on, they waited for sleep to come. Ihyun lay flat on his back while Sujeong burrowed into his side.

　　“Stop messing around and go to sleep.”

　　“Okay.”

　　Sujeong closed his eyes, counting Ihyun’s breaths. He liked the steady rise and fall of his chest. If he listened closely, he felt like he could even hear the quiet, rhythmic thud of his heartbeat. Ihyun looked down at Sujeong’s face. He had already fallen asleep, his breathing soft and even.

　　If only he would just sleep all the time. Then Ihyun could comfortably stay by his side without having to walk on eggshells.

　　Ihyun couldn’t understand Sujeong. He used to try, wondering if Sujeong was just lonely as an only child or desperately needed a friend, but he didn’t bother anymore. He didn’t want to know. Nothing would change anyway. As long as he did what Sujeong wanted, everything was comfortable.

　　He gained a lot from it, too. It’ll get easier once I get used to it. He doesn’t even get angry these days. Ihyun just wished Sujeong would stay this docile. He pulled the blanket up, tucking it closer around the nape of Sujeong’s neck.

　　Before long, the seasons changed, bringing a sweltering summer. Sujeong had grown again and had to get a new uniform tailored. Ihyun was somewhat jealous of the growth spurt, but considering he had no money for a new uniform himself, he figured it was actually a relief he hadn’t grown. Ihyun studied hard. It was one of the few things he could do freely in Sujeong’s house, and he considered it his only ticket out of this life.

　　He even started solving the workbooks Sujeong occasionally tossed his way.

　　“What are you even going to do with all that studying?”

　　“…I haven’t thought about it.”

　　Sujeong often asked Ihyun what his dream was. A dream. Ihyun just wanted to be something. He wanted to become an adult quickly, earn his own money, and rise to a position where no one could look down on him. If he went to a good college and got a good job, he’d make a lot of money, and then no one could mock him and his father for being poor.

　　Ihyun raised his head and looked at Sujeong. They were fundamentally different. Sujeong, who had been born wrapped in gold, would never be able to understand him. But it didn’t matter. By the time that mattered, they would be strangers anyway.

　　Whenever Ihyun focused on studying, Sujeong would inevitably get bored. He’d pester Ihyun, tapping his cheek with a finger while Ihyun’s eyes remained glued to the page. But since Ihyun wanted to study so badly, Sujeong figured he should let him have his way and often just left him alone. They were stuck together at home anyway, so he could tolerate this much. Kang Ihyun—studying so hard, yet without an actual dream.

　　Well, when he grows up, I’ll just give him a spot in our company anyway. Sujeong’s eyes curved into a wide, satisfied smile.

　　The gaps in Sujeong’s time that Ihyun couldn’t fill were occupied by their classmates. Even though Sujeong was at the center of countless incidents, big and small, the other kids constantly flocked to him. Moreover, Sujeong had mellowed out significantly lately and no longer rejected their attention. The more toys he held in his hands, the more fun he had. Besides, he already had his most precious toy firmly in his grasp.

　　Thanks to this, Ihyun managed to carve out little pockets of time to escape Sujeong’s surveillance. He even managed to doze off briefly in the empty music room on occasion.