Red Mansion

“Yeah.”Although he couldn’t remember, he was sure he had done something wrong. He should have stayed put. Being told it was a punishment from him, the discomfort in his shoulders was nothing. Sung-kyung blushed and nodded. He instinctively lowered his head and raised his eyes, but his vision was clear. His hair should have covered his eyes. Startled, Sung-kyung involuntarily let out a dumbfounded “Huh?”“Idiot.”Chungrim crossed his arms and looked down at his dumbfounded face. Then he lightly kicked the soles of Sung-kyung’s feet and walked out of the room. Soon after, the front door closed.The same scent he always left behind lingered. Sung-kyung took a deep breath. Since it was Chungrim’s room, his scent was even stronger. His scent filled the air completely. Taking another deep breath made his body tremble. He felt tightness below again. If it was this kind of waiting, he could endure it for months or even years.Maybe because he hadn’t taken much, his mind quickly cleared. He thought it would last for days, but the drug’s effect was gone in just a day. His head became heavy again, his whole body ached, he felt bored, hungry, and needed to use the bathroom. Most of all, his memories started to return in fragments.“I need to tell Father.”Where the columbarium was, the date his mother passed away. Only the ‘fact’ of what had happened was clear, while all the details were fuzzy. What day was it today, what day of the week, what time was it now? Even those real-world facts became distant and blurred.His chest felt tight again. The suffocating feeling he only felt in room 422 made breathing hard. Sung-kyung quickly turned his head and deliberately exhaled long breaths. He wanted to scratch his itchy throat, but his tied hands were a blessing.He looked at the large window on one wall. The rain had streaked it, suggesting the monsoon season wasn’t over yet. From the living room window, you could see the Red Mansion well. Now, only a cloudy sky filled his view.How long had he been like that? Myaa—. He heard a long cry and then the soft sound of claws clicking. Sung-kyung quickly shifted his eyes to the edge of the bed. As expected, it was the gray cat. Was its name Mero? Mero hesitated when it saw Sung-kyung but soon walked over slowly.“Hey, cat.”The slowly swaying tail stopped. It froze like a statue. Ignoring whether the cat was wary, Sung-kyung continued to speak.“I need to go to the bathroom.”The green eyes slowly blinked and then it moved silently again. It jumped onto the sofa under the window, passed the naked Sung-kyung, and settled down after pacing a few times.“Don’t just watch. I need to go to the bathroom.”Mero showed no sign of helping. Sung-kyung held back the urge in his lower abdomen. When he tilted his head, he saw the short, tightly tied knot. Had he not tossed and turned all night? He gently tested the strength of his wrists. They were sore and aching.“…”Sung-kyung lifted his head again. If he stood up, he could probably untie it easily. Though it would be quite inconvenient. After thinking for a while, Sung-kyung chose to stay tied. Chungrim had told him to.And for now, it was better this way. Scratching his neck would make a bloody mess of Chungrim’s room, and he couldn’t afford to spend all his remaining money on drugs. He had to pay the entrance fee and interest, and he had a personal debt to Chungrim. Resignation made him feel relieved. For Sung-kyung, giving up was as easy as breathing.Myaa. Mero started to observe Sung-kyung in earnest from the sofa. It was annoying to be the subject of a small cat’s curiosity, but its presence was somehow reassuring.Occasionally, Sung-kyung spoke to Mero. The cat would respond with a meow each time. Perhaps it needed someone to talk to as well. The thought crossed his mind.Tap tap. The sensation of something hitting his toes made him open his eyes wide. He must have dozed off. This wasn’t the cat’s doing. Sung-kyung rubbed his stiff eyes. At the same time, a familiar scent washed over him.“Living the good life, aren’t you?”Chungrim looked much the same as when he left. Sung-kyung instinctively checked outside the window. Seeing it was dark, he realized it was already night. Chungrim, who went out in the morning and returned at night. Without a clock, he couldn’t measure time precisely, but even this estimate made him feel better.“Want to get out?”Sung-kyung quickly shook his head. Now that he was awake, he felt the urgent need to pee again. His lower abdomen felt tight. He kept biting his lips. As Chungrim extended his arm, a shadow fell over Sung-kyung’s naked body. Chungrim’s large hand fiddled with the knot a few times, checking if there were any signs it had been tampered with.“Have you been good?”“Yes. I’ve been here the whole time.”There was a strangely proud tone. Chungrim must have known the knot was loose. He tested Sung-kyung as if examining him.“You could have easily untied this.”“…Yes, but I didn’t.”He looked up at Chungrim with sparkling eyes, as if asking for praise. Chungrim chuckled and bent one knee. Their gazes were now roughly aligned.“Why?”“Because you told me to stay put.”Chungrim’s eyes scanned Sung-kyung’s face, from the poorly chopped bangs and smooth forehead to the black eyes, the dot below one eye, the straight nose, and the chapped lips. Between his hot gaze, the cat meowed softly.“Mero made a friend.”The cat, which had stayed by Sung-kyung’s side the whole time, jumped off the sofa and left the room.“Guess it doesn’t like you.”Chungrim chuckled continuously as if something amused him. Sung-kyung, not knowing the meaning, just silently smiled along.“Aren’t you hungry?”“Um… I, I need to use the bathroom.”His face was burning from holding it in too long.“Ah.”Chungrim scratched his forehead with his index finger and stood up. He easily untied the rope haphazardly wound around the headboard. The rope that bound Sung-kyung’s wrists fell away. Finally free, Sung-kyung straightened up, massaging his stiff arms and shoulders. Embarrassed to be naked in front of the dressed Chungrim, he tried to cover himself. Despite his efforts, Chungrim watched Sung-kyung’s every movement intently.“Follow me.”Sung-kyung followed him in an awkward, hunched-over posture. Even though there was an en suite bathroom, Chungrim led him to the living room. The cool breeze from the air conditioner made the urge to pee even stronger. Sung-kyung bit his lower lip. He hunched further as he crossed the living room, conscious of the camera positioned in the corner.“Go in.”Chungrim leaned against the doorframe, holding the bathroom door wide open. Sung-kyung hurried inside and turned to close the door, but Chungrim blocked it with his foot.“Who said you could close it?”“Ah…”So embarrassing. His neck flared with heat. He felt like he was going to burst any moment. As Sung-kyung fidgeted, Chungrim gestured towards the toilet with his chin.“If I leave you in here, who knows what you’ll do.”“….”“What are you doing? Didn’t you say you had to go? Do you want me to hold it for you?”Chungrim’s mocking tone made Sung-kyung hesitate. He liked being touched by Chungrim, but this was too embarrassing. He grabbed his swollen, aching member with one hand. The sound of his long, held-back stream was loud. The continuous sound made his ears burn. After flushing, Chungrim gave another order.“Clean yourself up, including the mess you made while getting aroused alone yesterday.”So, it wasn’t sex, but he had done it by himself. Am I unable to distinguish between dreams and reality now? A bit of watered-down medication shouldn’t have caused that. Sung-kyung discreetly took a deep breath.“Yes.”Chungrim remained outside the bathroom while Sung-kyung cleaned up. Following Chungrim’s instructions, Sung-kyung wetted his hair first. He squeezed a coin-sized amount of shampoo and lathered it. In Room 422, he had used soap for his hair, but the shampoo created more lather, making his eyes sting and tear up.“Use the shower gel at the very end.”Following his order, Sung-kyung grabbed the bottle at the end. As he rubbed the towel to create lather, the scent reminded him of Chungrim. It oddly lifted his spirits.He scrubbed his groin area, where the sticky fluid had dried, more vigorously. Chungrim occasionally directed the order of rinsing off the lather. His gaze and voice felt hotter than the warm water.Before he could dry off, Chungrim opened the mirrored cabinet in the bathroom and tossed Sung-kyung a robe.“Put this on and dry your hair.”“Yes.”With this final order, Chungrim left the bathroom. Despite the open door, the bathroom remained steamy, keeping Sung-kyung’s cheeks flushed.After drying his hair, Sung-kyung sat quietly in the living room. Mero, a bit more relaxed, settled on the opposite sofa.Chungrim passed by behind him, having also showered. Sung-kyung watched his every move, craning his neck to follow. Soon, Chungrim returned, carrying a pizza. The smell was mouth-watering.Though it wasn’t a lively meal, Sung-kyung learned a lot. Chungrim enjoyed this kind of food, didn’t drink cola, and stayed silent while eating. He had never seen Chungrim eat anything other than ice cream or drinks bought from the store. Sung-kyung kept glancing at him. Despite sensing the gaze, Chungrim said nothing.The pizza was incredibly delicious. Eating something so tasty naturally brought thoughts of his parents. Had his mother ever tasted this? Maybe she had when she was outside. He decided he’d ask his father later. These thoughts slowed his eating.＊＊＊What was supposed to be just a day turned into more. Chungrim went out alone the next day, and the day after that. Though not bound anymore, Sung-kyung stayed put in the designated spots, spending time idly.Initially confined to the bedroom, Sung-kyung earned more freedom for good behavior, eventually allowed into the living room. He had to wait for Chungrim to return before using the bathroom. Chungrim’s outings weren’t long, and Sung-kyung had to get used to the punishments Chungrim doled out.The sky remained overcast, and it rained. The long, dreary monsoon didn’t bother him. The cool air from the air conditioner and Mero’s silent company were enough.“What do you do all day?”Mero, grooming his paw with his tongue, ignored the question.“You just sit there licking your paws?”How bored must he be to do that? Watching the idle cat was even more absurd. By now, he should be cleaning the store, dealing with drunk customers, or organizing items. Here, he did nothing but eat, sleep, and obey orders.Occasionally, thoughts of drugs resurfaced. He knew there might be some in Chungrim’s house, that he could walk out the door, and he roughly knew the location of Red Mansion. Yet, he did nothing. He chose to stay within the boundaries set by Chungrim, finding solace in them.“I want to scratch myself. I’m itching.”He wanted to scratch like the cat but held back. Sung-kyung showed Mero his wrists, swollen and scratched from the bindings.“Scratch me, too.”He laughed at the absurdity of his request. It had been a long time since he laughed without Chungrim being the reason. His laughter grew uncontrollable, making his shoulders shake as if he had gone mad.Chungrim scratched his forehead with his index finger and stood up. He easily untied the rope wrapped around the head and freed his wrists from the bindings. He finally gained his freedom. Sung-kyung straightened up, massaging his stiff arms and shoulders. Feeling embarrassed to be completely naked in front of the fully dressed Chungrim, he curled his body. Despite his efforts, Chungrim watched every movement Sung-kyung made.“Follow me.”Sung-kyung followed him, slightly bending over in an awkward posture. Although there seemed to be a bathroom inside the room, Chungrim led them to the living room. The cool breeze from the air conditioner brushing against his skin made Sung-kyung need to pee even more urgently. He bit his lower lip hard. When crossing the center of the living room, he shrank further, conscious of the camera placed at the corner.“Go in.”Chungrim leaned against the open bathroom door. Sung-kyung quickly entered and turned around. He tried to close the door, but Chungrim stopped it with his foot.“Who said you could close it?”“Ah…”It was embarrassing. His neck burned with embarrassment. He felt like he would pee any moment. As Sung-kyung fidgeted, Chungrim simply nodded towards the toilet.“If I leave you alone in the bathroom, who knows what you’ll do.”“…”“What are you waiting for? Didn’t you say you wanted to go? Should I hold it for you?”At Chungrim’s mocking words, Sung-kyung hesitantly turned around. Though it would have been nice to have Chungrim hold it, it was still too embarrassing. He grabbed his swollen, aching penis with his hand. The sound of his urine stream was long, having held it in for so long. The continuous sound of water made his ears burn with embarrassment. After flushing, Chungrim gave another order.“Shower and come out. Clean up everything, including what you did while in heat last night.”So it wasn’t sex but just him doing it alone. Was he losing the ability to distinguish between dreams and reality? It couldn’t have been just because of the mixed drugs. Sung-kyung took a deep breath without making it obvious.“Yes.”Chungrim stood guard in front of the bathroom while Sung-kyung showered. Following Chungrim’s instruction to wash his hair first, Sung-kyung lowered his head and wet it. He squeezed out a coin-sized amount of shampoo and lathered it. Unlike in Room 422, where he used soap, the shampoo created more foam. Because of that, his eyes stung, making him tear up.“Use the shower gel at the very end.”Following Chungrim’s order, he picked up the bottle at the end. The scent from the lathered towel reminded him of Chungrim. It strangely lifted his spirits.He scrubbed the dried semen off his groin more thoroughly. Occasionally, Chungrim would dictate the order in which he should wash off the foam. The warmth from Chungrim’s gaze and voice felt hotter than the hot water.Before he could dry off, Chungrim opened a mirrored cabinet in the bathroom and took out a robe, tossing it to Sung-kyung.“Put this on and dry your hair.”“Yes.”Only after giving the final order did Chungrim leave the bathroom. Despite the open door, the warmth lingered in the bathroom, making Sung-kyung’s cheeks stay flushed.He dried his hair and sat quietly in the living room. By then, Mero had somewhat relaxed and was sitting on the sofa opposite him.As Chungrim passed behind him, Sung-kyung turned his head to follow his movements. Soon, he heard the sound of the front door opening and saw Chungrim returning with a pizza. The smell was really good.Though it wasn’t a cheerful mealtime, he learned a lot. Chungrim likes this kind of food, doesn’t drink cola, and doesn’t talk while eating. It was the first time seeing him eat something other than the ice cream and drinks he would buy from the store. Sung-kyung kept glancing at him. Even though Chungrim must have noticed, he didn’t say anything.The pizza was incredibly delicious. Eating something tasty naturally made him think of his parents. Did his mother ever get to try something like this? Maybe when she was outside. He decided he would ask his father later. Lost in these thoughts, he chewed slowly.＊＊＊He thought it would be just for a day, but Chungrim went out alone the next day, and the day after that. Though his hands weren’t tied, Sung-kyung spent his time sitting quietly in the spot Chungrim designated for him.Initially, he couldn’t leave the bedroom. As a reward for staying put, Chungrim gradually expanded his allowed area. Now, he could go to the living room. He had to hold it in until Chungrim returned for bathroom breaks. Anyway, Chungrim’s outings weren’t long, and Sung-kyung had to get used to the punishments Chungrim imposed.Outside, it was still cloudy and rainy. The late-started monsoon season was dragging on. But he didn’t mind. He could talk to the unresponsive Mero while enjoying the cool air from the air conditioner.“What do you do all day?”Mero was grooming its fur with its tongue, not even looking at him.“Just licking your paws?”Sung-kyung thought Mero must be bored out of its mind to be doing that. Of course, he realized that watching a cat do nothing was even more pathetic. Around this time, he would be sweeping and mopping the store, dealing with drunk customers, or organizing goods. Here, he did absolutely nothing. He just ate what he was given, washed, and slept as instructed.Subconsciously, he still thought about drugs. He knew there might be some if he searched Chungrim’s house, that he could leave immediately if he opened the front door, and he had a rough idea of where Red Mansion was. Despite all this, Sung-kyung did nothing. He chose to find solace within the boundaries Chungrim had forcibly set for him.“Do you want to make a mess but hold back because of the camera?”Mero, who made a ruckus every dawn, acted all quiet during the day. It seemed like it didn’t want to be caught on camera. Sung-kyung was also very conscious of the camera in the corner of the living room. He often glanced at it. Who was behind it? Chungrim? Or the rough men Chungrim hung out with?“It itches. I want to scratch it.”He wanted to scratch his body like that cat but held back. Sung-kyung extended his swollen, scratched wrists towards the cat.“Can you scratch me?”He laughed at himself for making such a foolish request. He couldn’t remember the last time he laughed for a reason other than Chungrim. The laughter grew, and soon he was shaking with laughter like a madman.The noise must have annoyed Mero because it quickly darted into the room next to the bathroom. That seemed to be Mero’s room. He wanted to go there. Feeling a tinge of regret, Sung-kyung turned his head and watched until the cat’s tail completely disappeared from view.It was still raining, and the sky was dark, but it was far from evening. He thought there was still a lot of time until Chungrim would return. Then, suddenly, he heard the sound of the front door opening. Sung-kyung quickly got up from the sofa. The now-familiar robe fluttered around his calves.“It seems you obey better than Mero.”Chungrim walked straight to the sofa. Despite the hot and humid weather outside, Chungrim didn’t seem to carry any trace of the heat.“What?”“Get undressed and get on the sofa.”Before he finished speaking, Sung-kyung’s hands were already reaching for the robe’s belt. He quickly pulled the string and loosened the robe. Since he wasn’t wearing anything underneath, he was soon completely naked. He no longer felt embarrassed to be naked in front of Chungrim. Sung-kyung placed his hands on the backrest and knelt on the sofa. Chungrim removed the watch from his wrist and threw it on the floor.“Spread your legs so I can see your back.”Sung-kyung, rolling his eyes for a moment, reached back and grabbed his buttocks, spreading them slightly. His fingers dug into the soft flesh. Behind him, he heard the sound of a zipper being undone. Sung-kyung rested his forehead against the backrest, feeling tense.“More.”Chungrim glanced at the CCTV screen on his phone every time there was a signal. The screen showed Sung-kyung constantly glancing at the camera, sometimes even talking to Mero. To anyone else, it would look like a crazy person talking to himself.Amusingly, watching that scene made Chungrim aroused. By the time he rode up in the elevator, his pants had bulged, and the tip of his penis was already wet.Chungrim spread the liquid gathered at the tip along the shaft. There was no time to bother with gel or condoms. He grabbed his penis, already hard enough to press against his lower abdomen, and stroked it.Chungrim overlapped his hand on Sung-kyung’s trembling fingers, which were clutching his own buttocks. He gripped the flesh firmly and spread it apart. The swollen, unrelaxed hole was twitching. He wondered if he should take it easy, but since they had done it yesterday, it wouldn’t be too difficult to penetrate.He aligned the tip with the folds. The pressure from the tightening already made his lower abdomen tingle. Chungrim bit his lip and pressed the tip with his thumb, pushing it inside. Whether it was too much, the body underneath twitched intermittently. He pushed just enough so that his penis wouldn’t slip out and grabbed the buttocks tightly.“Ah…”He let out a long, heated breath. Still, his insides were burning. Since Sung-kyung kept shifting and flinching, Chungrim pressed firmly on the muscles along the spine to keep him still.Then he slowly pushed his hard member inside. The folds gradually opened, swallowing the shaft. The soft inner walls clung tightly, increasing the stimulation. Seeing his penis half-buried between the bruised buttocks made Chungrim’s head tingle.“Ah, fuck.”New bruises always appeared before the old ones could heal. Fading yellow bruises had fresh purple welts from yesterday on top, with green marks starting to show next to them.“Ugh.”Chungrim lost his composure and hurriedly shoved his penis inside. The hot inner walls and tight entrance gripped the shaft as if to tear it off. Even when buried to the hilt, he pressed hard enough to engage the muscles in his buttocks. His thighs, tightly pressed against Sung-kyung’s thin body, showed no sign of retreat.Chungrim rotated his hips slowly, probing the deep parts of the inner walls. Every time the tip touched inside, Sung-kyung’s knees buckled. Despite trembling, Sung-kyung subtly pushed his buttocks back. He wanted Chungrim to go deeper, to reach the very depths.“Ugh―”A large hand gripped Sung-kyung’s slender neck. The force pressed his forehead completely into the backrest. The simultaneous pressure on his neck and below made his lips tremble.“D-don’t show how turned on you are.”Chungrim spat out curses, gripping Sung-kyung’s neck hard enough to show veins. He pulled back slightly and then thrust deeply. His scrotum was pressed so tightly against the white, soft buttocks that it ached.“Mm.”Every time Chungrim thrust his hips wildly, Sung-kyung’s body shook back and forth. The thrusts were so rough that Sung-kyung’s knees slid inward on the sofa.“Why do you keep… looking like that, huh?”Chungrim, grabbing Sung-kyung’s buttocks, reached for the sofa backrest. Leaning his upper body further forward, he pounded into him frantically. Wet, slapping sounds echoed lewdly as their bodies met and parted.Chungrim’s hot gaze traced Sung-kyung’s thin back. When he thrust deep into the hole, Sung-kyung’s back muscles tightened. Pushing back his pelvis, Sung-kyung’s slender waist would sink slightly downward.“Crazy.”Seeing Sung-kyung’s body move in sync with his thrusts, Chungrim felt the urge to climax. He pumped his hips desperately. Sung-kyung’s dangling feet tapped against Chungrim’s knees. Chungrim’s eyes kept being drawn to Sung-kyung’s exposed white neck. He wanted to mark it with bites, to make it bleed. He wanted to leave his mark on that scarred neck.Chungrim barely resisted the urge by licking his lower lip. Instead, he smacked Sung-kyung’s thigh hard with his palm. The hole tightened around his penis simultaneously. His lower abdomen tingled, and he ejaculated.Even as he ejaculated, Chungrim kept moving his hips. The semen, forced out by his thrusts, began to pool at the entrance. He leaned forward, gripping the sofa backrest hard, and hunched over Sung-kyung’s back, thrusting like a madman.“Ugh, ah, ha…”The sofa cushions slid noisily, but the wet slapping sounds drowned them out. Sung-kyung was lost in the intense pleasure that felt like his head would explode. His lower abdomen felt tight and full, and his thighs trembled. His own erect penis dripped fluid.With each rough thrust from Chungrim, Sung-kyung’s engorged penis swung, splattering semen around. Watching the drops fall like candle wax, Chungrim swallowed hard. He heard Chungrim’s rough breathing close to his ear. Sung-kyung shut his eyes tightly at the sound of suppressed moans. His eyelashes were wet, and his eyes were damp.“Ha.”Suddenly, fragmented scenes flashed through Sung-kyung’s mind. His mother wrapped tightly in stiff cloth, the small figure seen before the coffin was closed, and the small urn handed to him much later. Sung-kyung choked back sobs.He desperately needed his medicine. These were not the memories he wanted to recall. He just wanted to see the image of the three of them together, happy and harmonious again.Is sex not enough to forget reality? Then I should take my medication quickly. Only then can I do what I want… Ah, my mother is dead, and I’m just a dirty bastard feeling pleasure from sex, so maybe I don’t deserve to escape.Sung-kyung lowered his bloodshot eyes. Under his knees, propped up on the sofa, a pool of semen had collected. His own erect penis was also dripping fluid. The fishy smell was especially strong today. He had a fleeting hallucination of insects crawling between his groin, where the cloudy liquid flowed, but it soon disappeared.“Ugh!”Suddenly, a forceful thrust made his back arch. The scenes he didn’t want to remember were soon overshadowed by a blinding flash of light. Sung-kyung’s lips parted, and his breath came out in short gasps.“Stop having stupid thoughts, okay?”When Chungrim lifted one of Sung-kyung’s thin legs, the penetration went even deeper. Sung-kyung’s toes curled inward, and his thighs began to spasm. Following the flashes in his head, Sung-kyung shook his hips.“What would you have done if I hadn’t fucked you?”“Ugh…”If not, he might have been suffocated by endless, unproductive thoughts. He could have been tormented by the reality that had already passed, perhaps even smashing his head. Scratching his wrist wouldn’t have been enough; he might have resorted to slashing it.He had to focus on the pleasure. His thighs tensed, and his back twisted. His knees, supporting his thin body, were in pain. Instead of that minor pain, he felt another wave of climax as he focused on the tremors enveloping his lower half.Thud. He shot semen onto the expensive sofa. As Sung-kyung blinked slowly, something dripped. All the fluids flowing from his body reeked. Maybe growing up in the Red Mansion made him this filthy.Below, water splashed to the point of frothing. Chungrim, too, was thrusting roughly, aiming for his second climax. Sung-kyung had no strength left to endure it. Suddenly, all his energy drained away, and his body went limp. He vaguely felt a firm hand supporting his body.With vision darkening, he saw the living room window. It was still raining outside. Occasionally, lightning flashed, lighting up the surroundings, but the Red Mansion was still not visible.＊＊＊Chungrim checked his phone again. At first, Surim thought he was just checking the time, but he seemed to be looking at something for a long time, not just checking the time. Watching him for a while, Surim asked.“Spill it. You got someone, don’t you?”He wiggled his pinky finger as he spoke. Despite Surim’s frivolous behavior, Chungrim only shrugged his shoulders. When he didn’t deny it, Surim’s eyes widened, and he made a fuss. His light-hearted behavior didn’t match his large frame.“Gyurim, what did I tell you? Chungrim’s smitten and didn’t even tell us? How long has it been? Is she someone decent? Who is she? Is she pretty? She must be gorgeous, seeing as you look so smitten.”Chungrim thought of Sung-kyung’s pathetically frail body. Pale skin that seemed to have never been sunburned and dark eyes with a somber hue. Pretty? The answer didn’t come immediately.“Hyung, don’t talk outside. You sound like a real punk.”“You bastard.”Even though he cursed, there was still a smile on Surim’s face. He lightly punched Chungrim’s chest with the back of his hand, then flipped his hand over and pressed hard against Chungrim’s firm chest.“What’s with your touch, like some perverted old man?”“Have you been working out? Found someone to use your strength on?”Surim grinned lewdly, the long scar on his cheek twisting. When there was no answer, Surim seemed to think it was out of embarrassment and chuckled, causing his large body to jiggle. The gold rings on his fingers clinked together, making an unpleasant noise.“Wow, Gyurim. If we leave him alone, we’ll soon be uncles. Isn’t it a bit early to be uncles at our age? Make sure to use protection, man. If you don’t want your big brothers being called uncles.”“It is a bit early. At our age, we should be fathers first.”Gyurim, who was sitting at his desk signing documents, laughed. Surim glared at him disapprovingly. His dainty expression was out of place on his large frame. Gyurim pressed the call button without paying any attention.“Shut up for a moment. Oh, come in.”The door opened in less than ten seconds. Gyurim, standing up, handed over the documents to the employee. He didn’t forget to say, “Good job,” pretending to be nice. The twins were living large on the entrance fees paid monthly by the residents of the Red Mansion, enjoying their title as bosses.As soon as the employee left and the door closed, Surim started talking again.“I had a feeling, but is there really someone?”Gyurim also seemed curious, sitting down across from him. As the twins’ interest focused on him, Chungrim turned his phone face down. Sung-kyung was still sitting quietly in his designated spot, occasionally talking to Mero.“Mind your own business. There’s nothing.”Chungrim knew all too well what they might do after pretending to be interested in their brother’s love life to get information.“Bullshit, who are you fooling? Something feels different this time. My gut feeling is scary accurate, you know?”Surim made a fuss, and Gyurim, also pretending not to be interested, lit a lighter. Chungrim sighed and slumped back in his seat. Taking his silence as agreement, Surim continued questioning.“Who is it? You haven’t been going out much lately. Is it someone from Kim’s place? Or one of our employees? Ah… Is it Secretary Won?”“Secretary Won quit.”“The one who just came in, isn’t she Secretary Won?”Even amid their foolish conversation, Chungrim slowly rubbed his lower lip with his index finger, occasionally tapping the armrest as if deep in thought. Then, cutting through their chatter, Chungrim spoke up.“Do I really look that crazy to you guys right now?”“Yes, very much so.”Chungrim laughed out loud. Lately, he had been doing things he normally wouldn’t because of Kim Sung-kyung. But had he really acted so strangely that even his brothers noticed? Did he look crazy because of Kim Sung-kyung? That rustic bastard? He’s just a plaything, isn’t he? Hearing his own state described by others made him feel dirty. Was it because Sung-kyung seemed to think he mattered to Chungrim?“…”As the laughter died down, Chungrim’s face hardened with a cold expression. Surim’s persistent curiosity only added fuel to his already foul mood.“What kind of woman is she, to make you so curious?”“Who said it was a woman?”His response was sharp and brusque, plunging the office into a silence as cold as ice water. Ignoring the awkward atmosphere, Chungrim nonchalantly took a cigarette from Surim’s jacket pocket and lit it, leaving his bewildered brothers behind.“You were so curious, but now that you know, why are you silent?”“A… man? Is it a man?”Surim’s jaw dropped as Chungrim blew smoke into his face. Seeing his brother’s shocked expression, Chungrim laughed like a child.“I’m just having fun. Didn’t you ever fool around when you lived in the mansion? It seemed like there were quite a few guys like that there.”“Fuck. No, those guys were all…”The twins had seen plenty of men fooling around with each other in the mansion, usually high out of their minds and not caring about who they were with. But their younger brother had left the Red Mansion at a young age, and they had always kept a tight rein on him. The idea of Chungrim being involved in such activities had never crossed their minds. Confounded, Surim asked again.“You’re messing around with a guy?”“What? You mean screwing?”Chungrim laughed, the cigarette clamped between his teeth. Why else would I have gone through all that trouble to bring him here on a rainy day? Such detailed thoughts couldn’t even be voiced between fits of laughter.“Yes, I did.”As his expression hardened, Surim’s face grew more menacing. This idiot, Chungrim, didn’t he know what kind of person he was getting involved with? They’d latch on and try to take advantage. Surim lowered his voice, ready to lecture his brother.“Hey, Chungrim.”“Hyung.”A cloud of smoke diffused from Chungrim’s crimson lips. Gyurim narrowed his eyes, trying to read his brother’s faint expression.“That guy is a real nutcase, you know? But I’m the only one who gets him.”“…”With nothing to say, Gyurim leaned back against the sofa.Chungrim had always been that way since he was young. Unlike the twins, he never received their father’s love and attention. Even while living at the Red Mansion, he had to wear their hand-me-downs, from clothes to shoes and even underwear. Nothing truly belonged to Chungrim.After their father passed away and the twins managed the Red Mansion, his sense of deprivation deepened. Though technically an adult, the twins were too young to responsibly care for their youngest brother.“Do you know how thrilling it is?”From a young age, Chungrim wandered, did drugs, and frequently got into fights. He even self-harmed at times. Whenever someone seemed to get close to Chungrim, the twins would pay them off to keep them away, believing they were harmful to him. It was a foolish reason. Most people left after receiving the money.“Even if I hit him, curse him, or treat him like shit, he only has eyes for me.”When Chungrim moved out, Gyurim’s biggest worry was that he might die alone. So they installed a CCTV camera by mutual agreement, although they never actually checked it. Chungrim never went off the radar for long. If his brothers asked, he reluctantly managed the Red Mansion or took on business ventures he had no interest in.Thus, the twins believed even more firmly that paying off those who approached Chungrim kept him from going astray and made him obedient to their wishes.But Chungrim spat on that belief. He always longed for something that money couldn’t buy—not the money their father left, nor the meaningless businesses. He wanted something more complete than the shallow relationships that ended with a few bucks.“You’ve always been fine with women until now…”Surim’s curiosity stemmed from this very reason. Who is it this time? How harmful could they be to you? How much would it take to get rid of them? These were the thoughts running through his mind. The fact that the new interest was a man was beyond his imagination. Chungrim merely raised an eyebrow in response.“You’re seeing a guy?”Chungrim laughed loudly. Maybe it was because they were brothers, but they thought alike. He, too, was surprised at first that men could do such things together. He thought he might even throw up at the sight of a naked man. But once he tried it, those worries vanished. It wasn’t just possible; thinking about it made him painfully aroused.In any case, their curiosity should end here. No matter how close they were, this was too much. Curiosity led to action, as it had for him.“Hyung.”Chungrim stubbed out his barely smoked cigarette on the table, ignoring the nearby ashtray. The sight of the burning filter crumbling intrigued Gyurim.“Stop being curious.”His gesture of grinding out the cigarette was aggressive. Sizzling, Gyurim watched the filter crumble.“Curious? Of course, we’re curious. We need to know who you’re getting involved with—”“Why.”Chungrim’s voice dropped. Although they usually seemed like affectionate brothers, at times like this, Chungrim was sharpest towards the twins. They had taken the most from him—his father’s attention and love, money, even people he had fleeting interests in. He often thought that this was why he lived in such miserable poverty.“So you can get rid of him too?”Surim fell silent at the icy words. The familiar yet strange sight of his guarded brother’s fierce gaze struck him.“That won’t work. That guy only has eyes for me.”Chungrim threw the extinguished cigarette butt onto the table. It bounced off the edge and hit the floor, tracing an arc that matched his mood.“I’ll play with him and throw him away when I’m done. So don’t waste your money. Got it?”Having come with nothing, there was nothing for him to take. Chungrim grabbed his car keys and phone, standing up to leave. His steps toward the office exit were laced with irritation.As he slammed the door, the secretary poked his head out, startled. Ignoring the greeting, Chungrim stood in front of the elevator. His back rose and fell with deep breaths.“What’s the big deal about knowing, anyway?”Strictly speaking, he hadn’t fully brought Sung-kyung into his sphere yet. Though compliant, the relationship was still tentative. He was just someone who had barely stepped into Chungrim’s boundary. The fact that he was a man only added to the intrigue. He was bound to get bored and discard him eventually.“…”