Chapter 337

Isaac opened his eyes at the sound of leaves snapping underfoot. In the center of his vision, Baekgyeong stood against the blue sky, looking down at him.

Sleepiness evaporated instantly and his senses sharpened. They were outside in cool shade, and Siron was lying with his head on Isaac’s right arm. He was naked and carried neither gun nor knife. He was completely disarmed. He had slept without the slightest vigilance until the noon sun rose, only waking from deep sleep when Baekgyeong appeared.

Fortunately, Baekgyeong was also unarmed. He wore handcuffs on both wrists, blood dripping from them. Isaac belatedly remembered that he had cuffed Baekgyeong and tied him to a pillar in the building.

That Baekgyeong had escaped while still cuffed meant he had toppled the pillar supporting the ceiling’s weight and freed himself.

“The ceiling must’ve collapsed.”

“Thanks to you, I’m about to lose a fortune.”

Grinding his teeth, Baekgyeong slowly shifted his gaze to Siron sleeping on Isaac’s arm. Isaac also turned his head as if confirming where he looked.

Siron slept with a peaceful expression. Watching the faint tension at his lips and trembling lashes, Isaac said,

“He hasn’t been asleep long. Don’t wake him.”

At dawn they had had sex on an empty mountainside. After mindlessly tangling their bodies, they lay side by side on the dew-soaked robe and fell asleep. It was a sleep deep enough not to dream. Baekgyeong silently examined every trace of the act. From the sharp pheromones flowing from his body, Isaac sensed intense emotion stirring inside him.

Sharp pain crossed Baekgyeong’s face. Suppressing his feelings to avoid anger, he said,

“Who do you think you are, trying to enter our lives?”

“Our lives. You say that as if the two of you share the same fate.”

“That’s the truth.”

“I don’t think Siron sees it that way.”

“You don’t understand bonds. ...Yoon Siron, I know you’re awake. Get up.”

Siron flinched in surprise. As if just waking, he sat up with a sleepy face. Stretching his arms and legs lightly, he put on the robe draped over him and stood.

“Ugh, I feel gross. I’m going to wash up.”

“Yoon Siron. You knew I was restrained and still leisurely had sex?”

Without even meeting Baekgyeong’s eyes, Siron answered,

“Leisurely? ...It was an Imprint experiment.”

“Why are you doing an Imprint experiment with that bastard!”

“I have to Imprint with someone, don’t I? Don’t pressure me!”

Siron regretted the words immediately. Baekgyeong must have been deeply hurt. At the same time, he wanted to remind both Baekgyeong and Isaac that he had not Imprinted with anyone.

“Don’t be cold to me.”

Baekgyeong’s angry voice stabbed his chest, but Siron pretended not to hear and walked past him toward the lodging. Feeling like a terrible villain, he kicked a stone far down the path.

“You damaged the room to the point the building must be rebuilt, so you’ll have to cover the cost.”

The owner behind the counter tapped a calculator with a strict face.

“It’s a historic building built thirty years ago. I’ll also charge for cultural damage.”

It’s just an old building. Siron barely swallowed the complaint rising to his throat.

The lodging they had stayed in had become complete wreckage overnight. The pillar supporting the ceiling tilted diagonally, breaking the structure’s balance, and the ceiling collapsed entirely. Not only the room, but wood and concrete debris slid toward the outdoor bath.

“Since we can’t accept guests during reconstruction, I’ll also charge for business losses.”

Despite being saddled with trouble, the owner raised no objection when the guest promised immediate compensation regardless of the amount.

“In total you must pay four hundred thousand dollars. Will you use a check?”

“No, a transfer.”

“This is insane.”

Siron grabbed his hair in agitation. To Baekgyeong, four hundred thousand dollars might be pocket change, but not to Siron.

“Forty thousand would be enough. Four hundred thousand? That’s robbery.”

He muttered and tried to stop Baekgyeong, but Baekgyeong calmly took his phone from his bag. Replacing the battery of the completely discharged 2G phone, he pressed power. It took a long time to boot because missed call alerts poured in.

Hundreds of calls from unfamiliar numbers had come while he was in the underground tunnel.

As Isaac, Siron, and the owner watched silently, Baekgyeong inhaled sharply.

“What?”

“Ah, shit! I totally forgot.”

Holding his forehead, Baekgyeong’s face turned pale. Siron, now tense, asked worriedly,

“What? What is it?”

“Damn... I forgot this?”

“Stop dragging it out. What is it!”

Only then did Baekgyeong lift his head from the phone. He looked as though countless words wanted to spill out, but he couldn’t start.

“...No. I can’t say right now. Anyway... fuck.”

As Baekgyeong trembled in near panic, Isaac, who had been watching, said,

“Transfer the repair cost first.”

“Transfer. Right. First...”

Baekgyeong searched the call list for Daniel’s number. As he tried to dial, the phone rang.

“What now...”

A restricted unfamiliar number. He almost hung up but pressed answer instead.

—Finally you picked up! Do you know how many times I called?

Hearing deep relief in the voice, Baekgyeong frowned. Familiar, yet he couldn’t recall who.

He glanced at the owner impatiently watching him.

“Who is this?”

—You forgot already?

At that moment a sharp dog bark sounded over the phone. Baekgyeong recalled a Chihuahua that hated him.

“The warden?”

—Ah, yes. Malcolm Knox, warden of Somora Prison. One moment.

The voice moved away, scolding the barking dog faintly.

—Bambi, quiet. Dogs aren’t allowed here.

The voice returned clearly.

—Sorry about that.

“I’m busy. Say why you called.”

Baekgyeong hurried him. After a pause, Malcolm answered gravely.

—You need to come see my family. They’re in danger.

“...What?”

—It’ll be a long story. Can you talk?

“...No.”

—Then I’ll call again in five minutes.

Everyone stared at Baekgyeong after the call ended, but he raised his hand to stop them. He called Daniel as intended, but even the transfer process went poorly.

—Hyung! The world’s gone crazy—

“Daniel, my world’s crazier. Transfer four hundred thousand immediately.”

—Am I a bank? Why do you always—

“I’ll send the account. Do it now.”

—Don’t hang up! I have something to say!

“I’ll call later.”

He quickly hung up and sent the account number. Restlessly tapping the counter, he waited.

Siron, unable to press him, waited silently. Both the warden and Daniel urgently needed him.

The money transferred in less than a minute. Baekgyeong pocketed his phone.

“You confirmed the four hundred thousand?”

“Ah... taxes. A sudden large deposit counts as income...”

“Don’t push it.”

The owner backed down at Baekgyeong’s expression and let them go without more demands. As soon as Baekgyeong stepped outside, the unfamiliar number called again.

—Hard to reach you.

He answered. It was Malcolm Knox again.