CH 27.3

Cha Yiseok clicked his tongue and picked up the phone that was crying insistently. A faint male voice came over the phone. His eyes gleamed dangerously as Cha Yiseok went out of the cabin with the phone to his ear. Yaba pulled up his underwear and followed him.

A motorboat turned and approached the yacht far away on the sea. On it, Kang Giha and two thugs were holding on. Yaba froze. The chip in his own head would have given him his location. Kang Giha alternately looked at Cha Yiseok, who had his upper body exposed, and Yaba, who was wearing only underwear and a shirt flying in the wind. Even from afar, his murderous look struck his flesh. Cha Yiseok pulled Yaba behind him and blocked Giha Kang’s view.

“How did you know this place?”

“Because my guys followed you till the neighborhood. I came here because I thought he might be here.”

“I threw off your underlings in the neighborhood. You must have been wearing an invisibility cloak to think I wouldn’t see a van that stood out like that.”

Kang Giha replied.

“Of course, they missed you in the middle, so I tracked the location with the Director’s phone. The Director also took my kid without consent, so I don’t think he has anything to say.”

“The exact location of this vast sea in such a short time?”

Kang Giha was taken aback, but that was only for a moment.

“These days, technology is so good that this much can be tracked.”

Cha Yiseok slowly turned his gaze. He muttered so that only Yaba could hear.

“Isn’t it strange? My phone cannot be tracked.”

Cha Yiseok’s eyes sparkled as if his brain was spinning rapidly. He opened his mouth while keeping his eyes on Yaba.

“That aside. I will reserve this guy today, so leave it.”

“It’s a rule of thumb to book reserved business trips in advance, and it’s an iron rule not to send the singer unless it’s a reliable customer.”

Cha Yiseok made an exaggerated expression of disappointment while looking at Kang Giha.

“You don’t believe me? That hurts.”

“I’m sorry, but it will take time for the Executive Director and I to build trust again.”

“Just overlook it roughly. If you weren’t so picky, you would have been much cuter to me…”

Despite being spoken to in a childish tone, Kang Giha was polite without any agitation.

“I plan to continue sending Yaba to CEO Cha in the future, so please keep that in mind. If I went against Chairman Cha this time, he said he would not end things with just a warning, so I have no choice.”

“Chairman Cha’s words aside. Leave the cat and go. He barely let down his guard, I can’t let him go like this, it’s a waste.”

Kang Giha flashed a fierce fishy smile.

“You must have heard about the store. The basement floor, where Executive Director Cha frequently frequented, and those who received guests were all burned down. Be sure to stop by once the renovation work is complete. I will also scatter lilies and fragrances around.”

“As expected, you are the only one who thinks of me.”

Cha Yiseok responded calmly. It was so laid back that it seemed like they were exchanging pleasantries. Yaba bit his lip. Whenever he forgot about Kang Giha, he would wake him up like this. He forcefully opened his eyelids to face reality. According to Giha’s will, his thoughts became cold.

“I told you to send him down politely.”

“Didn’t I say I was reserving this guy? Do I have to stab your ears one more time to understand?”

Cha Yiseok’s voice was soft, but his eyes were like the moment when blades collide. Kang Giha’s lips hardened. His cheeks twitched as he stared at Yaba.

“Then let Yaba choose for himself. Paradiso is a place that respects the intentions of singers.”

Yaba glared at Kang Giha fiercely. The eyes of Kang Giha, who were full of life, collided with his. He reached his hands into his trouser pockets. His pockets bulged as if he was holding something. You’d better come right now. Make a careful judgement. Those eyes warned him so. All his nerves were concentrated at Kang Giha’s pocket. It felt like the back of his head had been pricked with a needle. He never had the right to choose for himself from the start. Yaba spit out his biting lower lip and moved forward. Cha Yiseok grabbed Yaba’s forearm.

“You don’t have to go. Because I reserved you.”

Yaba opened and closed his lips. A pitiful red light shattered on his cheeks.

“Let go. I’m going.”

“I told you not to go.”

Fragments of his gaze flew in and peeled the membrane around his eyes. Yaba glanced at Giha’s hand in his pocket. He pursed his lips silently at him.

I can’t because of the chip.

He didn’t know if Cha Yiseok understood. Even if he understood, it was useless as he did not believe in the existence of the chip. Yaba pulled away from the hand grabbing him. The man entrapped him tenaciously but he desperately got out of his hands. He climbed down the ladder attached to the yacht and climbed into the motorboat.

Kang Giha threw a winner’s smile at Cha Yiseok, wrapping around Yaba’s shoulder. The boat departed soon after, moving away from Cha Yiseok who was standing by the yacht railing. Their gazes collided. Uncontrolled emotions mixed in the sun-drenched pupils. The sea breeze, resembling the smell of blood, clung to his body. Chills rose as if his molars were about to shatter.

***

When they arrived at the pier, as soon as Kang Giha pushed Yaba into the back seat of the car, he smacked his cheek. It was so painful that Yaba’s jaw almost fell out. He tore open Yaba’s shirt and looked for something. This time, he poked his back hole with his finger as if to check something else. It was easy to enter as he was only wearing underwear.

“Let go… !”

Yaba tore his hair and kicked him in the stomach. The thugs in the front seat glanced behind him. The vein of blood on Kang Giha’s neck popped out.

“Turn your eyes away!”

The thugs became contemplative and corrected their posture. Yaba struggled and dropped the antidepressant Cha Yiseok gave him. He stretched out his arm and tried to hold the case, but Kang Giha grabbed him by the collar.

“Get it straight. That bastard is just reaching out to you because the basement floor is a mess. Because you’re a corpse, like you said.”

“When the construction of the store is finished, I can move to the basement as well.”

“You… !”

Kang Giha raised his hand in a fit of rage. Yaba raised his eyes. The hands stopped in the air and wrapped around Yaba’s head. He bit his lip and sucked his tongue. Haa. He let out a filthy breath.

It was only then when Yaba came to his senses. He tore Kang Giha’s hair and pulled him off. He glared at him, wiping the saliva from his mouth. Looking at his expression, he prayed that he would know how disgusting this act was. Kang Giha twisted the corners of his eyes.

“Know that coming back on your own two feet was an excellent choice. That’s what you should do in the future.”

He threw off his jacket and covered Yaba’s leg. Yaba said faintly.

“How much is my penalty point?”

“Why?”

“How much is the penalty for murder?”

Kang Giha’s gaze flew in and landed on him. Yaba straightened his shirt and leaned his head against the window. He stepped on the case of medicine that had fallen to the floor and covered it with his foot. The car started right away. Yachts swimming in the open sea became as small as a toy. For some reason, Cha Yiseok seemed to be standing there, just like that.