CH 13

Junkyung reflexively asked the price to the staff who approached him. It was a mistake. Thanks to that, he heard unusal prices for clothes that look like ordinary department store products. He quickly removed his hand. He knew that luxury goods were expensive, but is it right that a T-shirt with no patterns was close to $700?

“No way.” He turned around evasively. He wasn’t ready to wear that and just roll around so went around the luxury store in search of a T-shirt at a comfortable price.

About 40 minutes later, Junkyung stood in front of the 700,000 won T-shirt again. This was the only T-shirt with a design and material that Junkyung could digest in the entire luxury building. Anyway, this price for one t-shirt? After contemplating whether to turn back, he changed his mind.

‘I told you to practice spending money.’

While working as bodyguard, he saw people who were in oil fields or techs bought something like these. They often filled a porter truck while churning out premium luxury pavilions. Compared to that, this is nothing.

There was also a courtesy to the American railroad company card that Executive Director Min gave him. If you pay too little for this class card, it is judged to be stolen, and the head office will contact you before approval of payment.

“Please give me this. And this too.”

He picked up a couple of them on his own. After buying it once, it was easy the second time. He bought what he wanted while scouring brands he had only seen. Comfortable pants, underwear, socks, etc. In no time, it was well over 10 million won.

Although it is a burdensome amount for an ordinary middle class, it is small for a major customer of a luxury store. The attitude of the staff changed when he revealed the room where they would put his purchases. They were kind from the beginning, but now they are especially polite. When they found out that he was a guest of the Presidential Suite, even the first employee he saw seemed to understand what Junkyung bought and recommend products.

From then on, the moment he went to any brand, store, the hotel staff recognized him. It seems that employees communicate with each other.

‘Well, I’ve figured out VIP trends in minute-by-minute increments.’

He didn’t even have to show the card. His purchases were automatically added to the room. Additionally, the staff said he had discount that comes with staying in that suite, and that the price was much cheaper than face value. Even then, Junkyung couldn’t help his eyes popping out.

“I think there was a movie like this a long time ago.”

The story of the heroine who fell over the rich lover card. Except for the fact that the heroine was rejected in the middle, the content of buying and winding the luxurious goods that he saw for the first time were almost the same. It felt good to be rich but thinking about the reason for this situation make him feel bitter.

Even though he bought a lot, he wanders around empty-handed when he suddenly saw a mannequin dressed in a cool outfit. The female mannequin wore a bikini with that look like a half-cut handkerchief and the male mannequin also wore a palm-sized triangular swimsuit.

There is a pool in the room.

I am bored because there is nothing special to do. There is no Executive Director Min. Junkyung pondered for a moment. While he was hanging out, the  staff came out to meet him up. Terrible. He followed the staff, looked around and bought a black triangular swimsuit.

He bought himself swimsuit as well as sportswear. This is because the suite contained the swimming pool and the hotel gym. He had nothing to do, so he decided to stay at home for two weeks and sweat to tone his loose body.

It was time for him to go back to his room and change into fresh clothes, and then stomped on expensive items with his socked feet to soften his new sneakers. The cell phone rang.

“Yes.”

-Is everything all right?

It was about two hours after Director Min left for work.

“Everything is fine.”

When asked if it was okay to send stuff to the room, Executive Director Min answered yes. Maybe it’s because communication technology is overdeveloped these days because even though it’s not a video call, Executive Director Min’s satisfaction was conveyed three-dimensionally through a small speaker.

– Are you done shopping?

“Yes.”

The conversation stopped. Since the purpose of the surveillance call under the pretext of saying hello was fulfilled, it was worth hanging up, but Executive Director Min continue to speak.

– What are you going to do now?

“I’m going to exercise. Because I can use the hotel gym for free.”

– Gym? Are you going to do some running or strength training?

Isn’t that usually the case when you go to the gym? When Junkyung replied that it was likely, he felt a fierce energy from the speaker. His ear became so hot that he unknowingly took off the phone. At what point did Korea’s IT technology develop like this?

“……should I not?”

– If you really want to do it, I won’t stop you, but it’s still an unstable time. Also, there are a lot of alphas in the hotel gym….anyway avoid excessive exercise.

Jun-kyung is a person who used to exercise. That’s why a new gym always makes his heart pound. It’s like a child going to a new amusement park. It’s a luxury hotel gym, not anywhere else but he felt like he was banned from entering Disneyland in the United States.

He gave up trying to ask if he could even run or lift some light dumbbells. The other party was too serious for that.

Junkyung doesn’t understand what having more or less alphas have to do with the gym. Even though he was called an Omega, Jun-kyung was a seemingly normal Beta man. He is extremely seldom consciously aware of a second gender or perceived by another person of a second gender while exercising.

Nevertheless, Managing Director Min was sensitive to it perhaps because he was the alpha himself. When his plan to exercise was thwarted, he felt frustrated. Will it continue to be like this in the future? If it’s because he’s pregnant, he wondered if he should find a personal trainer. It adjusts the intensity of exercise according to the condition.

It was also a problem that his body felt limp right now. He also bought sports-wears and even swimsuits.

“Can I swim? There was a swimming pool in the room.”

– I will let you know after asking your doctor.

After hanging up, Jun-kyung took off the sweatshirt he was wearing. He put his sneakers back into the box, and then grabbed a little swimsuit and waited. After 10 minutes, the message arrived.

[Light water play is possible.]

Light water play. He meant the butterfly was said to not even dream of doing. At the same time, it also means he was allowed to go into the water.

“What is this?” The little triangular swimsuit was so awkward. I am gonna play alone. Who cares? Junkyung put on a thick towel-made bathrobe and went out to the pool. The swimming pool right in front of the room was located on a high place, and the view was quite nice. The water temperature was slightly lower than body temperature, so it was safe to enter without warming up.

Splash.

Clear water without the smell of disinfectant surrounded his body. It was a micro-size swimsuit, so it felt like he was swimming naked.He dived to the bottom of the pool a couple of times. Naturally, the water reached the depths of the scalp. After enjoying the cozy feeling of closure brought by the water, he came up to the surface.

After swiping the water flowing over his face with both hands, he immediately crossed the pool. After returning to backstroke, he swam again in freestyle.

“Poah.”

It wasn’t the size of the stadium, but it was easy going from one end to another end at once. With each stroke, except for the butterfly, he kept breaking the current until he ran out of breath.

When he moves his body, his thoughts disappear. Like everyone else, living in the world leaves many byproducts in form and existence. Lactic acid accumulated in the muscles is pumped out by sleep and rest, and hardened muscle cells work hard to give elasticity.

The strong activity of the body shakes the bones and bone marrow and conventionally reaches the brain. Like an ultrasonic cleaner, the vibrations of the body, large and small, shake off the debris that has accumulated in the consciousness. Further out there, you reach a residue stuck in a small bundles of nerves called the center of soul.

‘I like you, hyung.’

While he was staying in the space and time where he was completely alone, the unorganized baggage that he had stuffed in the closet of emotions poured out.

‘What do you want me to do?’

The water temperature dropped by 5°C.

If he hadn’t answered that way, would things turn out different? If only he were a little more gentle. If he hadn’t focused on the embarrassment and anger that rose within him and if he had seen his despair and loss wandering around him.

The water temperature dropped even further. Is his body sinking? Suddenly, the water wave pattern on the surface faded away.At that moment, he sank to the bottom. It felt like something was tangled in his leg. He shook his limbs in surprise. The more he did, the more the water, like a wet cloth, cling him more.

Was it about 2 seconds? In an instant, the fear of death flashed at a glance. His eyes widened in surprise and he looked down. The tiles on the pool floor suddenly turned into a black whirlpool. A gray hand with black veins rose from the center.

Hyung, I am lonely.

‘Ahh!’ The screams became white bubbles and rose up. The more Junkyung stirred his arms and legs, the more the hands crawled his ankles to the calves and beyond the knees to the thighs. At some point, the two arms suddenly grabbed Junkyung’s waist.

Come with me.

No! No! I can’t go!

Hyung, Hyung!

Let it go! This bastard! Let it go!

He choked his breath while he struggled. He drank too much water. The struggle gradually subsided. The gray arm that touched his waist paralyzed his spine, and his legs became weak.

Junkyung’s body sank down, down, to the bottom of the deep eastern sea.