Chapter 60: The Price of a Lost Suit

Was he perhaps trying to conceal his financial struggles from Tae-young?

However, it was highly probable that Tae-young was already aware of Yeon-ho’s predicament.

While he might not have grasped the intricate reasons behind Yeon-ho’s lack of money, anyone observing his lifestyle would find it difficult not to notice his dire circumstances.

If Yeon-ho had wished to conceal his poverty from the outset, he would never have brought Tae-young to his rooftop apartment.

It was hardly the abode a financially comfortable individual would select.

Yet, he had invited Tae-young precisely because he had never felt the need to hide his financial situation from anyone. Yeon-ho didn’t believe poverty was something to be ashamed of.

During his trainee days, he had been constantly advised to conceal his humble background, to the point of annoyance.

The reasoning was that in this day and age, revealing one’s ‘dirt spoon’ status would lead to being looked down upon or losing favor.

However, Yeon-ho had no desire to lie to others merely to gain their approval. Nor did he wish to impress those who would scorn him for his lack of wealth.

[You blockhead. I didn’t say to lie, just not to flaunt it. If your goal is to garner sympathy through poverty exhibition, I won’t stop you. There’s quite a demand for that these days. But you’re not the type to enjoy pity, are you?]

They often said that hiding one’s flaws was fundamental to gaining favor. Yet, Yeon-ho struggled to understand the sentiment of not wanting to appear shabby to someone he liked.

He had always believed that true love meant embracing even a person’s flaws and their less-than-perfect aspects.

So why, then, was he so reluctant to show his shabby side to Tae-young? Was he, after all this time, trying to win Tae-young’s favor? Why did he want Tae-young’s approval?

Could it be that…

Smack!

A slapping sound echoed through the car.

Tae-young’s jaw dropped in bewildered surprise.

“Hey, why did you suddenly slap yourself like that? What’s going on?”

“……”

Yeon-ho let Tae-young’s words wash over him, focusing on steadying his breathing. He had just slapped himself to regain his composure, a drastic measure, but one that proved undeniably effective.

Halting the runaway train of his thoughts, Yeon-ho spoke with a resolute air.

“Can I ask my question now?”

‘Find the suit sample quickly and then part ways with Tae-young.’ Yeon-ho swiftly repeated this thought in his mind.

“…Uh, yeah. Go ahead.”

Tae-young nodded, his expression clearly conveying, ‘What kind of ridiculous person is this?’

“The day I worked as your manager, I left a suit bag in the car. By any chance, did you see it?”

“A suit, you say? Hmm. I think I might have…”

Tae-young furrowed his brow, as if struggling to recall.

“Think hard. Is there any possibility someone else might have moved it besides you?”

“Is it important?”

“Yes.”

Yeon-ho nodded emphatically. Tae-young gazed down at the desperate-looking Yeon-ho with a somewhat displeased expression.

“A gift?”

Anxious about not finding the suit, Yeon-ho failed to notice the sharp edge in Tae-young’s voice.

“Yes. It was a gift, and I need to return it.”

“Whoever it is, they’re a strange one. Once a gift is given, it’s given. Who asks for a gift back?”

Tae-young crossed his legs, leaning back with a cynical air. Yeon-ho realized his explanation had been insufficient.

Since Tae-young was unaware of how Yeon-ho had acquired the suit, such a misunderstanding was inevitable.

“I wouldn’t say anything if it were a luxury brand gift. But it was a crudely made, cheap copy. To give that and then take it back? Is that person trying to retrieve it because they’re afraid their gift being a copy will be exposed?”

Tae-young mercilessly disparaged Bang Hyo-jun’s merchandise.

Yeon-ho listened quietly to Tae-young’s words until he noticed something peculiar.

“How do you know that Hyo-jun hyung’s clothes are knock-offs?”

Just as Yeon-ho was about to press him, asking if he had seen the suit and pretended not to, Tae-young deftly changed the subject.

“How soon do you have to return the knock-off?”

Yeon-ho glared fiercely at Tae-young, who was trying to evade his interrogation. However, Tae-young seemed to be adopting a more cooperative stance.

While Yeon-ho desperately wanted to lambaste Tae-young, unfortunately, the upper hand in this negotiation belonged to Tae-young. Yeon-ho couldn’t afford to pick a fight rashly.

“Today.”

“Today? There’s not much time left then. We should hurry, shouldn’t we?”

Tae-young checked his watch with a feigned look of concern. Yeon-ho stared at the hypocritical Tae-young with an incredulous gaze.

“Stop playing coy. Just tell me for certain if you have Hyo-jun hyung’s clothes.”

Instead of answering with a simple yes or no, Tae-young leaned his head against Yeon-ho’s shoulder. In that instant, Yeon-ho’s heart plummeted.

“If I find your clothes, what’s in it for me?”

“You shameless scoundrel! Have some conscience. You took my belongings without permission and now you’re asking for compensation to return them?”

Yeon-ho raised his voice unnecessarily, worried that Tae-young might hear his pounding heart.

“You left it behind, so I didn’t take it without permission. And you haven’t come looking for it all this time.”

Yeon-ho bit his lower lip firmly. With Tae-young’s head resting on his shoulder, he was so distracted that none of Tae-young’s words registered.

His gaze fell upon Tae-young’s chattering lips. They were glossy and moist, as if he had applied lip balm.

‘What would they feel like to touch? Soft? Or firm? Perhaps both? And further inside?’

Yeon-ho found himself unconsciously imagining tracing Tae-young’s teeth with his finger.

“When you find lost property, you gain the right to demand a reward. But I’m not going to try to squeeze blood from a stone, so I won’t ask for money.”

The mention of a reward snapped Yeon-ho back to reality. His father’s long history of financial blunders meant that any talk of money automatically triggered an alarm in his mind.

“What do you mean you won’t ask for money?”

Yeon-ho leaned back like a wary cat. It sounded like he wouldn’t accept any compensation, but Yeon-ho sensed a hidden trap, like the fine print in a phone contract. Tae-young had only said he wouldn’t take money, not that he wouldn’t take anything at all.

“You’re strangely sharp in these situations.”

Tae-young, no longer able to lean on Yeon-ho’s shoulder, clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“There’s no law saying compensation has to be in money, so I’m thinking of something else instead.”

“You’re going to demand an item?”

Tae-young smirked.

“Do you really think you possess anything I’d covet?”

‘Why did he always have to phrase things in such a way?’

Yeon-ho glared, his face scrunched up, but Tae-young simply got out of the car.

“Hey, where are you going?”

A flustered Yeon-ho asked, but Tae-young didn’t reply, walking around the hood towards the driver’s seat. Only when Yeon-ho saw him open the driver’s door did he relax.

‘Would it kill him to just tell me he’s changing seats?’ Yeon-ho grumbled internally, but then Tae-young turned back.

“Close the door so we can leave.”

Yeon-ho instinctively reached for the back door to close it before he came to his senses.

“We haven’t finished talking. Where are you going?”

“We’ll discuss what I’ll get as compensation later. You said that knock-off, or Hyo-jun hyung’s clothes, needs to be returned today, right?”

“What does returning it today have to do with talking about it later?”

“I took the clothes to my place.”

“…Your place?”

The suit being at Tae-young’s house was an outcome Yeon-ho had never anticipated.

“I hung it in my dressing room, but it’s mixed in with my clothes, so it’ll take some time to find.”

Yeon-ho finally knew the suit’s whereabouts, but he couldn’t bring himself to be happy.

****

Apartment 2104.

The lair of evil he feared would appear in his dreams.

Yeon-ho stepped through the front door, feeling like an extra in a horror movie.

Click, click, click.

Lights illuminated the long, hotel-like corridor.

It felt strangely unreal. He had received numerous delivery orders from the resident of 2104, but he had never imagined he would one day step inside this apartment.

Tae-young’s home brought to mind the ultra-luxurious Manhattan mansion featured in a video that had garnered five million views on the platform. When the foreign real estate agent showcased every corner of the mansion on camera, it had merely seemed fascinating, but actually entering such an expensive-looking apartment made him feel inexplicably uncomfortable.

Was he unconsciously intimidated by the imposing lighting and interior design? No, that wasn’t it. There was no reason to be nervous if he thought of it as just another delivery location.

The source of Yeon-ho’s discomfort was the tall man walking ahead of him. Yeon-ho kept glancing furtively at Tae-young’s back, where his shirt clung to his form. He told himself repeatedly not to look, yet he’d find his eyes tracing Tae-young’s back, his waist, and his long, seemingly solid neck, like that of an athlete.

“This way.”

Tae-young suddenly turned around. Yeon-ho, who had been secretly admiring Tae-young’s physique, quickly averted his gaze to avoid eye contact.

Tae-young narrowed his eyes, perhaps finding Yeon-ho’s behavior suspicious.

“What are you doing?”

“Just admiring the place. Nice house. Those paintings are expensive, right?”

As Yeon-ho tried to approach the paintings, Tae-young roughly pulled his clothes.

“Yes. They’re expensive, so don’t even think about touching them.”

Yeon-ho was dragged along by Tae-young, but he didn’t find Tae-young’s actions unpleasant. Instead, he felt relieved internally, having successfully diverted Tae-young’s attention.

“It’s in here, so go find it.”

Tae-young opened the door to the dressing room. Yeon-ho felt dizzy at the sight of a space roughly the size of his entire rooftop apartment. The dressing room was overflowing with clothes.

Tae-young’s earlier comment about it taking a long time to find the suit sample was no exaggeration. Even the Glitch members, who had a considerable obsession with clothes, had less apparel when they lived together in the dorms.

“Don’t you remember roughly where you hung it?”

Yeon-ho looked back at Tae-young, seeking help.

“Not at all.”

Tae-young, leaning against the doorframe, shook his head.

Yeon-ho found Tae-young’s relaxed demeanor, like someone watching a fire from across a river, infuriating. It might be none of Tae-young’s business, but wasn’t this a bit too much?

“Don’t just stand there watching, help me. You don’t want me staying here for too long either, do you?”