CH 8.5

When they came out, Imsoo was nowhere to be seen. Cha Yiseok stuffed Yaba into his car, so he had no choice but to get in the car. Cha Yiseok repeated snickering while driving all the way. The wound was quite severe, and blood was dripping down to Yaba’s cheek. He stopped his car and ran to a nearby pharmacy.

While Cha Yiseok was away, Yaba took off the mask. When he checked his forehead through the rearview mirror of the car, there was blood on his forehead. Cha Myunghwan had thrown a flowerpot at Yaba’s head, strangled him and ran mad. If Cha Yiseok hadn’t intervened quickly, he would even pull out the needle in his forearm and wield it. Cha Myunghwan passed out only after receiving sedatives.

Yaba covered his face with his mask and tied the ribbon tight.

“Ugh.”

The mask touched the wound. His clothes were stretched and torn, revealing his belly fat and fat forearms sticking out. When he saw the mask with a crack on his forehead, he felt resentful that he couldn’t have done the same to that man’s face. As he leaned back on the chair, a comfortable feeling wrapped around his back.

On the road in the distance, the lights of cars passed by dragging their tails. The orange lights loitered away. He followed the trajectory of the disappearing light with his eyes. Since yesterday, he hasn’t had a sip of sleep, so his eyelids were tired. But somehow, he felt like he couldn’t sleep tonight.

“They said it would take 30 minutes to get to the hospital. We should just stop bleeding as soon as possible.”

When he arrived, Cha Yiseok was holding a white bag and opened the door of his car. As he sat in the driver’s seat with the cold wind blowing, the car body leaned stiffly. Cha Yiseok spread the ointment and gauze on his thigh. With gauze in one hand and medicine in the other, he twisted his body slightly.

“Come on. Face.”

“I’ll do it. When I go back to the dorm, there’s medicine and everything.”

“It’ll take a while to get back. Come on, face.”

Yaba squinted at his finger soaked in ointment. If that finger touched his forehead, he was sure he wouldn’t be able to bear it.

“Then do it this way.”

Yaba stuck out his forehead. Cha Yiseok wiped his blood and applied medicine as much as possible without touching the mask. Yaba felt dizzy at the touch of his hand on his forehead. The nape of his neck and shoulders in Yaba’s eyes, his gaze and his forehead, the sound of his breath is in his ears… He embraced all the senses. Whatever the reason, at least now was the time when Yaba wasn’t out of his sight. This wound was lovely. He would still think the same when he woke up tomorrow morning.

When the treatment was over, his hand withdrew. Cha Yiseok placed his hands on the steering wheel and placed his sharp chin on them. He suddenly felt a gaze on the bridge of his nose.

“It’s the first time I’ve laughed like that.”

Perhaps the compliment was adequate. Cha Myunghwan said that if Yaba showed up in front of him again, he would bury him alive. The result was satisfactory for Cha Yiseok, and everything went as planned. He started the engine and put his hand on his gear. His hair, which was laid loosely, was a dark blue color. All of a sudden, Yaba wanted to put his fingers there. He clasped his hand. With this incident as an opportunity, he hoped that he would be engraved in Cha Yiseok’s mind. He wanted to monopolize his time. So he was desperate. He said in a faint voice.

“Payment…”

Cha Yiseok turned his head. Yaba squeezed the rest of his words out.

“… What about the payment of labor?”

In an instant, the warmth escaped Cha Yiseok’s lips. Do you really have to spoil my mood right now?, his expression seemed to ask. It was a coldness that was so vivid that Yaba couldn’t think of it the any other way. His real face, which had been reflected for a while, was covered with a soft mask. Just like that expression was a fantasy, a thorough and perfect mask…. He closed his eyes and lightly tapped the steering wheel with his finger.

“I forgot.”

Like a signal, his gaze fell on Yaba’s lips. Yaba chewed on his lower lip with his upper teeth, trying to get the expression out of his mind just before. It was now or never. After tonight, Cha Yiseok wouldn’t take him out, and Yaba wouldn’t beg any more. He trembled as he looked straight at him. The other person was reaching for his mask. Yaba was startled and stepped back, rolling his legs up on the chair. Cha Yiseok glanced at his mask.

“Why don’t you put that away for a while?”

Yaba didn’t know where to put his eyes, so he just glanced at the shore of the lake.

“Y-you can just do it like this.”

“I don’t want to.”

“… Just do it.”

“I don’t just lick lips and tongue when kissing.”

“…”

This was unplanned. Naturally, he thought going to get paid for his hard work while wearing a mask. This wouldn’t do. When Yaba tried to jump out of the car, Cha Yiseok locked all the doors and blocked the escape route. One arm was placed on the seat where Yaba was sitting, and the other arm was placed on the window sill, completely encircling the front. Sharp eyes pierced Yaba.

“And I’m curious about your face.”

Cha Yiseok fiddled with the loose mask string, and Yaba tightened the hand holding the mask. If the other person applied force to that hand, the mask would come off, revealing an ugly face underneath. He spoke like a rapid-fire cannon desperately.

“Actually… there are worms. Bugs made my face like this.”

His voice trembled a little. Even though the bugs existed clearly enough for one to even be able to paint a picture of them, no one believed it.

“It’s true. Even now, they lay eggs on my body and even eat my face. So this is how my face became like this…”

Cha Yiseok’s lips became cold. Contempt flashed through his eyes. That expression was like a lifeless photograph. He spoke expressionlessly, revealing his even teeth.

“I have no doubts. I know that you’re that kind of person1.”

Before Yaba could even think of what he meant, Cha Yiseok pulled on the string. Yaba hurriedly grabbed his wrist. He had to get some insurance before removing this shield.

“Then promise me. Even after taking off the mask, you can’t change your mind.”

Never… Yaba murmured. The other person answered.

“I promise.”

“Really? You’re not going to go back on your words?”

Cha Yiseok placed his palms on his heart and bent his back.

“I swear by your eyes.”

Somehow, the corners of his lips twitched at the playful words and actions. Yaba didn’t know the reason. Anyway, it would be better if he should collect the payment of labor as soon as possible and not think much of it, just like Cha Yiseok thinks. Yaba relaxed the hand holding his mask. Then he pulled the end of the ribbon on the mask. Cold sweat pooled down his back as he squeezed his entire body. His face was damp at the breath reflected on the mask. Suddenly, Cha Yiseok laughed.

“You’re not even taking off your clothes, so why are you so grim?”

All of Yaba’s nerves were focused on the mask, so he couldn’t hear anything. The ribbon caught in his fingertips tightened. The knot was untied and the mask fell off his face. Cool air seeped through, and his hair ran down his forehead. The pounding heartbeat almost made him vomit. As the beautiful mask was removed, it was as if the entire skin of his face had been peeled off. It was a terrible horror.

“Wait… !”

Yaba hurriedly grabbed his hand. But Cha Yiseok took off the mask without hesitation. Yaba let out a soft groan. The Venetian mask, flickering its feathers, bounced off his thigh and fell onto a chair and to the floor.

Tap, tap…

The vibrations the mask made gradually faded. Yaba looked at the beautiful ivory-colored face with eyes close to despair. Giving up everything, he moved his gaze with all his might.

Cha Yiseok opened his eyes wide as if surprised by something. After not moving for a while, he raised his hand. He repeatedly covered the corners of Yaba’s eyes and nose with his hands and then removed them. It was like a gesture to confirm something. A large hand went down, and there was Cha Yiseok, who had a more ambiguous expression than before. Yaba’s eyes ran across the floor and ceiling. Except for Cha Yiseok, the entire space was in a mess. Yaba raised his arm and covered his face. Cha Yiseok grabbed his wrist and lowered it roughly.

He gazed deeply, from Yaba’s eyes, through the cheeks, and down to the edge of his chin. Each time, his expression softened slightly. Yaba held his breath for a long time. His eardrums hurt at the sound of his heart beating violently. He couldn’t even swallow his saliva for fear of hearing it. The man’s eyes, which had been drifting for a long time, came to an end in Yaba’s eyes. He raised his well-trimmed eyebrows.

“There’s a type of lips and nose that suits being covered in cum.”

Deep, dark eyes radiated a sinful glow.

“The face of Satan who was raped by angels and abandoned in a brothel…”