Chapter 5
For the next few days, Eun Wol did exactly what he was supposed to.
Sleep. Eat. Work.
It was a rhythm he was familiar with, one that required nothing of him emotionally. He drifted through the motions like he always had—waking when the sun was already high, cooking instant meals without thought, scrubbing glasses behind the bar until the noise around him blurred into something distant. The new clothes Gyu In had bought hung quietly in the corner, untouched. His old hoodie and jeans remained in service, as if pretending the expensive ones weren't there would undo whatever weird deal, he'd gotten himself into.
The only thing that didn't follow routine was Eun Bin's silence.
He had sent her another message. Nothing accusatory. Just a simple "Are you okay?" followed by "Please let me know you're safe."
She hadn't responded.
And so, here he was lying back on his worn-out couch, one hand resting on his stomach, the other dangling off the side like a forgotten puppet. He exhaled deeply; eyes fixed on the cracked ceiling.
Just as he felt his eyelids begin to droop, the shrill buzz of his phone cut through the quiet.
He blinked slowly and reached over.
[Mr Weird Man]
Received: Are you free now? Let's meet. I have something to do with you.
Eun Wol stared at the screen.
"Something to do… with me?" he muttered under his breath.
He reread the message three times, as if it might rearrange itself into something less suspicious.
The contact's name—Mr Weird Man—stood out more than the message itself. He hadn't even remembered saving it, even after signing the contract. He really should change the contact's name.
Eun Wol sighed and sat up.
He wasn't doing anything. Not really. He hadn't done anything real in days.
Maybe it was better than lying around, waiting for a reply that wouldn't come. He answered Gyu In and asked for location. Once he received it, he changed into his usual attire nothing fancy, just comfortable. A pair of grey jeans and a matching sweater. Cap and mask, of course. He slung a navy-blue bag over his shoulder and slid into his sneakers.
The meeting spot wasn't far.
JARDIN Premium Square
He'd probably only stepped inside that place two, maybe three times in his entire life. It was a luxury world—clean, curated, distant. For someone like Gyu In, though, it probably felt like home.
Eun Wol reached the entrance and was about to send a message when he heard a low snicker behind him.
"Mr Scarecrow, who are you trying to scare away?"
At the sound of the nickname, Eun Wol's eye twitched.
Damn this man. If only you weren't the executive director of VALHEN Group, I would've started a fight with you right now.
Gyu In clapped as if to get Eun Wol's attention, "Now you really looked like a lost scarecrow."
"Well, aren't you a pleasant sight," Eun Wol bit out, his voice laced with sarcasm. "Black blazer, white basic shirt, grey pants. Stunning."
"Don't mind the details, I do have work to attend." Gyu In casually hooked an arm around Eun Wol's shoulder. "Let's get you some clothes. You can't be my pretend boyfriend looking like you were raised by ghosts."
Eun Wol didn't respond. He didn't need to. His expression was already a flat line, the usual kind that gave nothing and somehow still said "I hate this."
But now here he was. Standing in the middle of a men's boutique so white and sleek it made him feel like his worn sweater might spontaneously combust. He stayed near the entrance, arms crossed and cap pulled low. The salespeople clocked him right away. Their eyes slid over his figure like he was a stain on the polished floor.
Gyu In, meanwhile, was at ease. He wandered around racks like he owned the place which, for all Eun Wol knew, he probably did.
"This," Gyu In said, holding up a beige sweater that looked softer than anything Eun Wol had ever owned. "Try it."
"No."
"You haven't even touched it."
"I already said no."
"Bunny," Gyu In warned, tone sing-songy.
Eun Wol shot him a glare sharp enough to shave ice. "What are you doing? Playing a dress-up game?"
But Gyu In didn't stop. He tossed more clothes into the growing pile—shirts, caps, even underwear like he was shopping for a dressing game character.
Eun Wol eventually gave up. Not because he agreed. Because he was too tired to keep refusing.
In the dressing room, he stared at his reflection. The new clothes fit too well. Too clean. Too not him.
He stepped out and Gyu In gave a satisfied hum. "You clean up nicely, Mr. Scarecrow."
Eun Wol rolled his eyes. "As if you're any better. I bet your whole wardrobe is just basic coats, suits, and pants in grayscale."
Gyu In placed a hand over his chest, mock offended. "I don't take insults well. Especially not from a Tarzan."
"Don't call me that." Eun Wol exhaled and turned back toward the changing room. "Are we done?"
"Almost." Gyu In grinned and pulled something out from a small black box. "This is yours too."
A phone. Brand new. The kind of sleek that Eun Wol wouldn't even let himself look at in stores.
"What is this?" he asked slowly.
"A phone."
"I have one."
"No, you have a calculator with social anxiety. This is a phone."
Eun Wol stared at it. "Why?"
"It's part of the deal," Gyu In said. "You're my boyfriend now. You can't be unreachable. Also, I already added my personal number. And saved me as 'CEO Daddy.' You're welcome."
"…You're insane. I am totally reachable. You just need to use the basic function such as texting or calling."
"Nah." Gyu In shrugged, still smiling. "Aren't you bored? I paid for a whole year of data. You can download games, use the internet, watch shows. What if you can't reach me? You might need map or something."
Internet, huh…
Eun Wol's thoughts drifted—unintentionally—back to the black phone lying untouched in his drawer.
Just then, Gyu In's own phone buzzed. He looked at it, and his smile dipped ever so slightly.
"I've got to go," he said, already pocketing his things. "Something came up."
He handed Eun Wol the shopping bags like he was passing off a favor, not several hundred dollars' worth of clothes. "Is there anywhere you need to be? I can call a ride for you."
"No worry."
Gyu In patted his head lightly, "You know you can use me more~ I am your boyfriend now. But sure, I'll call you again."
And then he was gone.
Leaving Eun Wol in the middle of a store he never wanted to be in, holding bags he didn't ask for, wearing clothes that didn't feel like his. He sat down on a bench near the window. Resting his arms over the bags, he let his head fall back against the wall.
What the hell am I doing?
He closed his eyes.
When he opened them again—
"...Eun Wol?"
His heart didn't lurch. It froze.
Because standing just a few steps away, holding a convenience store coffee and looking just as stunned to see him.
Song Ji Hun.
"Eun Wol…is you."
Ji Hun's voice was low, almost a whisper, as if saying the words too loud might shatter something fragile between them.
He stood there—hair tousled, face bare, the same way Eun Wol remembered from two years ago, but time hadn't softened the weight in his eyes. If anything, it seemed heavier now, as if the years had etched stories of pain and distance no one dared ask about.
Eun Wol's fingers tightened around the shopping bags, the plastic crinkling softly in the silence. His mind screamed to run, to disappear into the crowd, but the absurdity of fleeing while clutching his burden rooted him in place. He imagined himself sprinting with arms full of clothes and phone boxes—laughable and vulnerable.
He dared not meet Ji Hun's gaze. Looking away felt like armour, a shield against the flood of memories threatening to rise.
He wanted to say so much—blames, questions, regrets—but the words tangled inside his throat like thorns. Instead, he offered a slight nod, a silent acknowledgment of everything unsaid.
For a moment, the air hung between them, thick with unresolved pasts and hesitant futures.
Ji Hun's eyes softened, just barely. "I never thought I'd see you again."
Eun Wol swallowed hard, his voice barely above a whisper. "Me neither."
"Are you doing well?" Ji Hun's eyes flicked down to the bags Eun Wol was lugging. "I guess… not too bad, huh? I really missed you. If it's possible, maybe we could catch up—"
Eun Wol kept his gaze fixed on the ground. "Are you sure it's alright for you to hang out openly with someone like me? I didn't think you'd want to taint your image."
"What are you even talking about?" Ji Hun's voice lowered, but the edge of anger slipped through. "It's been two years, hasn't it? Two years. You're clean again, right?"
"So, you don't believe me," Eun Wol said, standing abruptly and shifting the weight of the bags. "Then I don't think there's anything left for us to say."
"No, wait! I am sorry."
"Dont apologise if you don't even know what you are apologizing for." With that saying, he left without a second glance.