* * *
The place they arrived at seemed smaller than the previous safe house they’d stayed in.
Perhaps the surroundings, full of mountains and a sprawling garden back then, had made it feel even more spacious.
Jingyeom swallowed hard as he quietly took in the exterior of the house.
‘Will I ever be able to go home?’
For some reason, he had a feeling Soohyuk wouldn’t let him go so easily.
Even when the repairs were finished, it seemed likely that only Jinwoo would be able to leave.
Moreover, seeing the large house brought back memories of spending days cleaning and cleaning again at Hoonil’s place.
‘If I lived here, a whole day would pass just cleaning.’
Of course, anyone who could afford to live in a house like this could also hire a housekeeper.
Brushing off such useless thoughts, Jingyeom shook his head and followed Cheongoh inside.
As expected, the interior was spacious and pristine.
Somehow, it felt similar to the previous mansion.
“Jinwoo’s coming here after work, right?”
“Yes. Please make yourself comfortable.”
“Wait, where are you going?”
When Cheongoh turned to leave, Jingyeom hurriedly grabbed him.
“You want me to stay here alone?”
“Someone will be here soon.”
“But it’s not someone I don’t know, right?”
“No, you’ve met them before.”
Cheongoh hesitated as Jingyeom clung to the hem of his coat.
Not wanting to abandon Jingyeom too abruptly, he awkwardly stepped back, but Jingyeom leaned in, not letting him escape.
Jingyeom, who desperately didn’t want to be left alone, tightened his grip, determined to keep Cheongoh from leaving.
“If you hold on like this, it puts me in a difficult position.”
“Why? Is there CCTV here too?”
Jingyeom asked, half-joking, but Cheongoh shook his head.
Still, Jingyeom couldn’t fully trust him and looked around suspiciously but didn’t spot any cameras.
Cheongoh, unable to heartlessly shake off the hand holding his coat, fidgeted, putting his hands behind his back and subtly turning his head, signaling that this wasn’t his choice.
“Is Soohyuk hyung coming here too? Does he really live here?”
“He’s staying somewhere else temporarily but will live here soon. He’s moving in today.”
“This house was bought just recently too, right? Like the previous one!”
Even though Jingyeom knew he should be talking to Soohyuk instead, he kept pestering Cheongoh, hoping to glean some information.
After hesitating over whether he should answer truthfully, Cheongoh felt the pressure on his coat tugging at him and blurted out, “Yes, that’s correct.”
“I thought so.”
Jingyeom said flatly, then pulled on Cheongoh’s coat again.
“Shall we sit down?”
“Are your legs tired?”
“A little.”
Before Jingyeom even finished speaking, Cheongoh began moving toward the sofa.
Jingyeom, still holding onto his coat, was pulled along, but the maintained distance prevented any stumbling or separation.
Feeling touched by Cheongoh’s consideration, Jingyeom smiled and followed him to sit on the sofa.
“Are you in a lot of pain?”
“No, it’s not that bad.”
Jingyeom waved his hands to emphasize that he was fine.
As long as he was moving or stretching, he didn’t feel much pain, but it ached a bit if he stayed bent for too long.
Besides, the car ride had made him tense, and that probably didn’t help.
It wasn’t anything serious; a bit of massaging and rest would do the trick.
‘Jinwoo must be worried too.’
He had tried contacting him on the way over, but Jinwoo hadn’t replied yet—maybe he was stuck in a meeting or swamped with work.
Deciding to wait for Jinwoo to reach out, Jingyeom leaned back on the sofa but kept a close eye on Cheongoh, afraid he might leave.
Even though Jingyeom was staring openly, Cheongoh didn’t glance his way once.
“No one’s here yet.”
“That’s probably because I’m still here.”
“What, are people scared of you?”
“That’s not it.”
Jingyeom waited for more of an explanation, but Cheongoh remained tight-lipped.
Wondering if there was some story behind it, Jingyeom scrutinized his side profile, but Cheongoh’s expression gave nothing away.
Amid the silence that filled the living room, the doorbell rang, and Cheongoh eagerly picked up his phone.
“Yes, I’ve safely escorted him. Still at the house. Yes, I’ll be there shortly.”
As soon as he hung up, Cheongoh shot to his feet, and Jingyeom quickly tried to catch him.
But this time, Cheongoh was too quick, deftly avoiding him and giving a slight bow.
“I’ll be going now. If you need anything, please let the person arriving soon know.”
“Ah! Hey!”
Jingyeom called out desperately, but Cheongoh swiftly slipped out the front door, ignoring the plea, knowing he’d end up stuck until Jinwoo arrived if he hesitated.
Outside, Cheongoh met Ms. Jeong, who was waiting.
“…It’s been a while.”
“Yes, it has.”
Cheongoh seemed about to say more but clamped his mouth shut when he heard Jingyeom calling for him from inside.
Jingyeom, who had followed him out, lit up at the sight of Ms. Jeong.
“Please, take care of him. I’m counting on you,” Cheongoh said, bowing his head respectfully before passing Ms. Jeong.
Ms. Jeong headed toward the front door.
“We meet again, Mr. Jingyeom.”
“I’m glad to see you! I felt bad for not properly greeting you last time… It’s nice to run into you again!”
Seeing a familiar face, his fear of being left alone melted away completely.
Ms. Jeong was about to start introducing the house again, but Jingyeom declined, explaining he wouldn’t be there long and just needed to know where he’d be staying temporarily.
After checking out his room, they moved to the kitchen for tea.
Ms. Jeong noticed Jingyeom sneaking glances at her and smiled warmly.
“If you’re curious about something, feel free to ask.”
“It’s nothing much. I’m just happy to see you again… But I did wonder what you’re doing here.”
Seizing the moment, Jingyeom asked what he had been curious about.
He’d assumed she managed the previous mansion, but meeting her here piqued his curiosity about her role.
His heart always skipped a beat when encountering someone not mentioned in Gray.
Of course, meeting new people often led to some incident, but ever since becoming Baek Jingyeom, he had almost grown used to such events.
“I’m working. I was hired both then and now.”
“Oh…”
Jingyeom deflated at the simple answer, and Ms. Jeong’s smile deepened.
“The director hired me for quite the generous price.”
She winked playfully, as if revealing a secret.
Jingyeom eagerly nodded, no longer asking questions.
“I’ll be in the room on the first floor, so feel free to call if you need anything.”
“Ah, sure!”
Ms. Jeong got up first, placed her empty teacup in the sink, and headed to her room.
Jingyeom quickly finished his tea and did the same.
“Everything’s new as expected.”
He had guessed, and it turned out he was right.
Taking in the spacious kitchen and living room, Jingyeom couldn’t help but wonder what kind of events would unfold while staying here.
“…Is Jinwoo still busy?”
Since he only had a few people to reach out to, his phone stayed silent.
If today had been a workday, he would’ve had something to keep himself busy.
“Ah!”
It hit him that his part-time job was picked because it was close to home, so getting there from this place would take a while.
Overlooking that fact, Jingyeom let out a groan as he slumped onto the living room sofa.
While staring blankly, a message from Soohyuk popped up, making him frown deeply.
“This is just too much!”
That evening, the house was packed with robust men.
Jingyeom found himself wedged between them, unable to move or react, looking down with only his hands fidgeting.
He’d been wondering all day why Jinwoo hadn’t contacted him, only to learn that even at work, they were at odds over where to stay.
Secretary Yang had told him this.
“Why did it have to be this house, of all places? I’ll head to Hoonil hyung’s place.”
“Why not just stay since you’re already here? It’d be more comfortable for Jingyeom too, right?”
“How could he be comfortable in a place he’s visiting for the first time? Besides, the electrical repairs shouldn’t take long, so staying somewhere else temporarily is fine!”
The ones arguing were Soohyuk and Jinwoo.
A few steps away, Wonbeom was watching Jingyeom, who seemed lost.
While Soohyuk and Jinwoo bickered, Wonbeom considered just taking Jingyeom and leaving.
Just then, Secretary Yang, who had been quiet, clapped his hands.
“Let’s not repeat work discussions here! Weren’t we supposed to ask Jingyeom?”
Jingyeom lifted his head at Secretary Yang’s words, only to quickly turn away from the gazes directed at him.
“What do you think, Jingyeom? You’ve got plenty of options.”
“…”
“Here, the President’s house, the doctor’s place, or even my place, if you’d like.”
Presented with an array of choices out of nowhere, Jingyeom blinked rapidly.
Seeing the sharp pairs of eyes on him, Secretary Yang subtly moved closer to Jingyeom.
“We wouldn’t want you to be stressed, after all.”
But he didn’t expect so many contenders to appear so suddenly.
Soohyuk was unfazed, confident since he had leverage despite not liking Secretary Yang’s interference.
“Madam Jeong is here, too, so it’s better to stay here. If you go to another house, you’d have so much to do. Didn’t you cook and clean even when you stayed at Hoonil hyung’s? How is that resting? You moved around way too much when you should’ve been relaxing.”
“Moving a bit is better, you know, mmpf—”
Secretary Yang quickly clamped his hand over his mouth at Soohyuk’s sharp glare.
He’d sealed his own lips, knowing they’d keep running otherwise.
“The fact that Jingyeom came here must mean he’s okay with staying, right?”
Soohyuk turned to Jingyeom for confirmation, and under the pressure of his pointed stare, Jingyeom reluctantly nodded.
Considering his debt to Soohyuk, Jingyeom was definitely in the weaker position.
“See? He’s fine with it.”
Soohyuk’s mood lifted instantly, only for Jingyeom’s next words to make him smile triumphantly.
“But I’d like Jinwoo to stay at Hoonil hyung’s or with Secretary Yang.”
* * *
Oh why
👍
wow
good
Good