CHAPTER 22
Five weeks later
Min-Jun entered his apartment and looked around. It seemed surreal to be there again after all that had happened. He remembered the evening he left and didn’t come back, and the weight of sadness settled in his chest.
“Are you okay, honey?” his mother asked, her face full of worry.
“Yeah, I just–” Min-Jun shook his head and walked farther in. His place was spotless; at least he wouldn’t need to worry about that for some time while he reset and returned to his daily routines.
Gaeul dropped the bag in the hallway, saying, “I’ll take care of this later. Are you hungry?”
“A little bit. But I’m going to take a shower first.”
“Be careful, please. Call me if you need help.”
Min-Jun already functioned without assistance but still felt a little bit weak from time to time, so he understood his mother’s worries. He appreciated having her there; he knew he would have a hard time if he was all by himself.
That evening, he tried to catch up a little bit on his studies. He had been bored in the hospital and wanted to return to normal as soon as possible.
In the evening the doorbell rang, and Min-Jun’s heart almost jumped out of his chest. He looked with anticipation towards the hallway when his mother went to answer the door.
“Your friend came to see you.” Gaeul led Ha-Joon into the living room.
Ha-Joon slumped into the chair next to Min-Jun. “Geez, I thought you were ignoring me or something.”
“My phone broke, so I couldn’t call you from the hospital. Sorry.”
“I saw him at the door the other day,” Min-Jun’s mother shouted from the kitchen, “So I told him you’d be home soon.”
“Did they find out who did it?”
Min-Jun nodded. “The guy’s in jail already.”
“That’s crazy. Why’d he do it?”
Min-Jun shrugged. “I… I don’t know.”
Min-Jun remembered Aidan and the moment he saw Cade for the last time leaving the house. He still didn’t understand why that man hated him so much.
Min-Jun’s mother exited the kitchen and said, “By the way, Min-Jun, we don’t have to pay the rent. Your employer took care of it too. I must say he’s a very generous man.”
“What? What do you mean?”
She added happily, “The whole year is paid in advance.
And he also covered the hospital expenses.”
“I thought it was covered by insurance,” Min-Jun said, not believing what he just heard.
“It was, but not all of it.”
Min-Jun sighed and rolled his eyes. “Now I need to get two jobs.”
“Why?” Both looked at him puzzled.
“To return my debt. I don’t need his money.”
“I don’t understand why you would want to do that?” his mother was wiping her hands, looking a bit hurt. Min-Jun remembered that his family was in a tough place financially and winced.
“I refuse to owe that man anything.”
Ha-Joon and Min-Jun’s mother exchanged glances.
***
Aidan sat on the chair and looked at the semi-naked body of a young Korean man who was pulling up sexy moves to seduce him.
He wore a sexy maid uniform, just as Aidan had suggested to him.
The young man was bending over, sitting and dancing in his lap but Aidan looked like he was seated in a church and not in the back room of a strip club.
The young man unbuttoned Aidan’s shirt and traveled his hands across Aidan’s bare chest. Then he made a circle around him and pressed his bare foot to Aidan’s crotch and frowned.
“Still nothing?” he asked.
Aidan only stared up at him without a word.
The young man sat in his lap again and pressed his hardened cock to Aidan’s crotch and moved his hips.
Aidan put his hands on the young man’s bare hips and the young man leaned in to kiss him.
Aidan turned his head to the side and said, “I’ve already told you. No lips.”
“Maybe that’s the issue here,” the young man whispered to his ear and licked Aidan’s earlobe.
“No.”
“Your loss,” the dark-haired man added and pulled away. He lowered himself on his knees and unbuttoned Aidan’s pants. He pulled Aidan’s still limp flesh and tried to stroke him and lick him to firmness.
Aidan released a heavy sigh and tried to relax and not think about anything, but his mind went to Min-Jun again.
I miss him, I miss him so much. But Min-Jun truly must hate me from the depths of his soul.
Aidan’s heart sank at these thoughts. The young man was not giving up; he took his whole dick in his mouth and moved his head up and down. Aidan closed his eyes and saw Min-Jun again. His dick twitched.
Min-Jun…
The young man became encouraged and began sucking him harder, but Aidan pushed him away.
“What the fuck?” the man asked in surprise and rose to his feet.
Aidan pulled out the money and threw it on the table, saying, “I’m done.” He buttoned his pants and his shirt with quick movements and stormed out of the room.
***
“Where are you going?” Min-Jun’s mother asked the next morning as Min-Jun donned his coat.
“I must take care of something. I’ll be back soon.” Min-Jun took a heavy breath. He still got breathless when he was bending down or doing more complex activities.
“I’m going with you.”
“No, Mom. I’ll be alright.”
“What if something happens to you? You’re still not fully recovered.”
“I feel okay. I’ll take a taxi, so I won’t do much walking.”
“Min-Jun…” Gaeul didn’t seem convinced, she reached for her jacket.
“Mom. I’ll call you when I arrive at my destination. Okay?”
“Okay.” She relented. “But update me every few minutes. And don’t stay too long.”
Min-Jun nodded and headed out of the door. He called the taxi and waited for a few minutes outside the building. The fresh, crisp air filled his lungs, and Min-Jun was grateful there was no rain that day.
When his cab parked in front of the familiar gate, Min-Jun’s heart picked up its pace, but at the door he hesitated, questioning his decision.
If not now, when? I need to confront him and kick him in the balls. And break his nose. And a rib if possible. Then we could be even maybe.
Min-Jun pressed the button and cleared his throat. He shivered as he waited for the response and looked around, feeling paranoid.
When a voice projected from the intercom, he almost jumped out of his skin.
“Mr. Han?” Elena’s voice rang happily from the other side. “To what do we owe your visit?”
“I need to talk to Aidan.”
Min-Jun heard the front door unlock, so he pushed it forward. He walked down the pathway and saw Elena exit the house. The time of day was similar to when he used to come there to work, and Min-Jun felt a wave of nostalgia.
“Good morning Mr. Han.” Elena smiled warmly and led him into the house. “Aidan is in his office. Would you like me to make you some tea or coffee?”
Min-Jun paused in his tracks and turned to her again. He noticed this was the first time he had seen Elena with her hair down, and he couldn’t help but notice how similar she and Aidan looked.
“Um, no thanks,” Min-Jun replied and shook his head. “I’ll just talk to him.”
He clenched his jaw as he headed towards the stairs and repeated to himself: I need to do it. No distractions, no relenting...
Min-Jun stopped in front of the door and pounded on the wooden surface. When he heard Aidan’s voice, his breath hitched. With trembling fingers, he turned the knob and entered.
Aidan’s eyes landed on him and widened. “Min-Jun?”
Min-Jun closed the door, narrowed his eyes and said, “I knew who you were back there in the hospital. But I didn’t have the strength to confront you back then.”
Aidan’s surprised look disappeared as quickly as it appeared, and he smiled. “I knew it.” He got up from his chair and shortened their distance.
Min-Jun clenched his fists and waited for Aidan to get close enough. As Aidan took his final step, Min-Jun flung his fist to Aidan’s cheek.
“Ouch!” Aidan pressed his hand to his face and laughed. Min-Jun then delivered a punch to his other cheek and bumped his balled fists to Aidan’s chest.
Aidan continued laughing while Min-Jun punched him all around his torso.
“I hate you,” Min-Jun screamed. “I fucking hate you!”
Frustrated Min-Jun was about to smack him once more, and Aidan stopped laughing. He spread his arms and said with a serious expression, “Go ahead. Punch me. Beat me. I deserve it.”
“I… I hate you so much!” Min-Jun shouted once more and his vision blurred.
“You have every right to feel that way,” Aidan added. “Finish what you started.”
“Oh, stop it! You, you–!” Min-Jun fought back his tears, and he was looking everywhere but at Aidan. His throat tightened and his voice broke.
Seconds after Min-Jun felt hands around him wrapping him into an embrace. He pressed his palms on Aidan’s chest, wanting to push him away, but he just let it happen. He wasn’t strong enough to resist it further.
His eyes went wide when Aidan’s face appeared inches from his and at the words that rolled out of Aidan’s tongue, “I’m sorry you feel this way. And I wish I could take away all the pain you went through because of me.”
Min-Jun frowned. “It’s way too late for that, don’t you think?”
“I know. I pushed you away when in reality I should have pulled you closer.”
Min-Jun rolled his eyes to look annoyed, but his body shuddered and his heart wanted to jump out of his chest.
“I realized it too late. That I need you, that I miss you… That I want only you.”
Fuck. I wish that was true.
Min-Jun looked away with a soft gasp. Aidan’s lips hovered over his ear and his cheek, then Aidan brushed the tip of his nose over the side of his face and added, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Min-Jun’s world spined and his breaths were coming out ragged. Aidan cupped his cheek and rubbed it gently with his thumb.
I shouldn’t give in, but all I want is for him to kiss me.
“Min-Jun,” Aidan whispered to his ear then moved his lips closer to Min-Jun’s. “My sweet Min-Jun…”
The hairs on Min-Jun’s back stood up. He closed his eyes and parted his lips in anticipation. When nothing happened, he grabbed the fistful of Aidan’s sweater and locked their lips in a kiss.
I fucking hate you, but I love you at the same time. I’m insane.