Chapter 4

The two of them ate in silence, so suffocating it was almost unbearable.

Naru stuffed his cheeks full of tomato pasta, chewing with his mouth closed.

While his mouth was busy, his eyes darted around, trying to take everything in.

‘So this is what “eating under someone’s gaze” feels like…’

He popped three pickles into his mouth and patted his chest with both hands.

He wasn’t used to eating much, so overeating made his throat clog up.

“Don’t sit there making me anxious. Go drink some water.”

“Kerock! Y-yes, seir—” ‘cough cough’ “Yes, sir.”

Gyuyeon glared as he cut his pasta with neat, economical movements.

Watching Naru foolishly thump his chest and wheeze irritated him.

Naru grabbed an empty cup and padded off—straight toward the bathroom.

‘Why the hell the bathroom? I told him to drink water, not wander around like an idiot.’

Gyuyeon watched with bored eyes, then gave up on paying attention.

Finding the bathroom in a house this big was no easy task.

After opening two wrong doors, Naru finally pushed open the right one—his mouth fell open.

Bathroom? It looked more like a spa.

White marble, polished and spotless, gleamed under soft light. It was excessively refined—just like Gyuyeon.

Naru had never seen anything like it. This bathroom was bigger and grander than the basement he used to live in. He stood speechless.

Clutching the cup in both hands, he stepped to the sink and brushed the sensor.

Water gushed from the golden faucet.

“Amazing…!”

After filling the cup to the brim, he turned off the light and trotted back to the table.

Gyuyeon blinked at him.

“You… just filled that with tap water?”

“You told me to drink water…”

The hand that had been wagging in disbelief trembled in frustration.

Naru, calm as could be, sat serenely as if nothing were wrong.

‘I was told to drink water. I got water. What’s the problem?’

In the basement, tap water had been his only source. To him, a purifier was just another faucet.

Gyuyeon pinched the bridge of his nose. This brat was giving him a headache.

If he’d done it on purpose, Gyuyeon would’ve been furious. But he looked genuinely clueless.

“The purifier’s over there. Hey—be honest. You’re messing with me on purpose, right?”

“Ah, no! I’m not!”

“Ha. The brat who says ‘not’ goes and drinks tap water? Dump it and use the purifier.”

‘…Wait, why am I being nice to this bastard?’

Still muttering, Gyuyeon pointed out the purifier.

Naru hurried over, pressing buttons curiously.

One push of the cold-water button would’ve done it—but of course, he poked the wrong one.

“Ah—!”

“Hey—!”

A splash of hot water scalded his hand. Naru yelped and jumped back.

Before he could stumble away, Gyuyeon grabbed him by the scruff of the neck.

Their eyes met—Naru’s wide with shock, clearly thinking ‘I didn’t do anything wrong.’

“S-sorry…”

“You’re not a caveman. Have you really never used a water dispenser? Why’d you go press the hot-water button, idiot?”

‘Ah… so that was hot water.’

Naru quickly memorized: red button, hot.

So this was a purifier—an appliance others used too.

Tentatively pressing the cold-water button, he filled the cup again, then turned to Gyuyeon with hopeful eyes, silently asking if this time it was right.

Those innocent eyes, absurdly, looked almost cheeky.

“What are you staring at? Want me to praise you or something?”

Naru nodded, earnest. He loved being praised. Maybe Gyuyeon would pat his head.

“Crazy bastard,” Gyuyeon muttered, rolling his eyes and returning to the table.

Naru’s shoulders drooped, disappointed. Still, he sat down behind him obediently.

By now Gyuyeon’s pasta had gone cold. Irritated, he shoved the plate away. Pasta was only good piping hot.

Naru, unbothered, cheerfully finished every last bite. He even scraped the sauce clean until the plate shone white.

Leaning on his hand, Gyuyeon stared at him.

“Your name again. Song… Naun?”

“I’m Naru. Song Naru.”

“Same difference.”

“They’re completely different…”

“Fine, Song Naru. They said Naun—useless idiots, can’t even get the name right.”

At least the boy corrected him firmly.

Even if he accepted anything else, the wrong name stung.

Gyuyeon scowled at the agency’s incompetence. Wrong info, sloppy work. He wanted to tear into them over the phone.

Still, he didn’t once consider Naru might not be the one they were supposed to bring.

“Anyway. Why’d you do that to me? Got a little money and suddenly fearless, huh?”

“I don’t have money…”

“Yeah, thought so. Even if you did, you think you’d be richer than me?”

His tone was cutting, arrogant.

But Naru didn’t even flinch. Having lived in a basement, he owned nothing. Gyuyeon, with his fine house and expensive clothes, clearly had wealth. There was no sting in the words.

“But… you even gave me a meal. Why?”

“Why’re you asking that now?”

“You didn’t lock me up. Or beat me…”

“Hey, who are you painting as some thug? I did bring you here, but I’m not crossing any lines.”

Naru tilted his head, thinking hard.

‘Crossing the line… what exactly does that mean?’

To him, “lines” had always been blurred. Abuse was normal. Rules were survival.

Still, Gyuyeon’s words felt oddly reassuring. He gave a small, fleeting smile.

“No apologies for me?”

“Uh… I’m sorry.”

It wasn’t the answer Gyuyeon wanted.

He wanted begging, kneeling, explanations that the rumors were false.

Instead, it was a hollow apology, spoken out of habit.

‘This brat won’t do. I’ll keep him here until he breaks.’

He knew how to torment the nouveau riche. No violence needed. Strip away comfort, and they’d crumble on their own.

After dumping his plate in the sink, Gyuyeon headed toward his room.

Naru quietly followed.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Then… where should I be?”

“Sleep on the sofa. As if I’d give you my bed.”

“Yes, sir.”

Naru turned and sat obediently on the sofa.

The plush cushions welcomed him like heaven.

For someone who’d slept on cold floors, this softness was overwhelming.

He pressed the cushions with his fingers, a smile threatening to burst.

To hold it back, he widened his eyes until they almost watered.

Watching from his doorway, Gyuyeon smirked.

‘Tears just from lying on a sofa? For a nouveau riche, he puts on quite an innocent act.’

But then—‘Why the hell am I thinking he’s attractive?’

Shaking his head, he slammed his bedroom door shut.

Left alone, Naru flopped onto the sofa, giggling silently as he kicked his legs.

‘Wow, so soft! So much space—I can roll around! If I were a dog right now, I’d chew the leather…’

With a small sigh of regret, he curled up and closed his eyes.

Though his stomach was unsettled from eating under scrutiny, happiness still filled his chest.

---

“Ugh… hmm…”

In the middle of the night, faint whimpers broke the silence.

On the sofa, Naru curled up, sweating, face pale. His stomach throbbed painfully.

“What the hell… he’s been like that a while.”

Gyuyeon had always been a light sleeper. Tonight, the sounds pulled him out of rest.

He tried to ignore it, pressing a pillow over his ears. But the soft, pained cries—almost like a whimpering puppy—gnawed at him.

Finally, irritated, he got out of bed.

Switching on the living room light, he saw Naru’s condition.

“Kiiing… ugh…”

His bangs clung to his forehead with sweat, lips cracked and dry. His whole body shook.

“Hey. Get up. Hey.”

“Ugh…”

“Where’s it hurt? Tell me.”

“Kiiing… m-my stomach hurts…”

Listening to the pitiful mumble, Gyuyeon sighed.

He recalled the boy’s tense expression at dinner. Eating under such strain—of course his stomach was wrecked.

Like it or not, the responsibility weighed on him.

He laid Naru flat, then fetched medicine.

“Take this. It’s an antacid.”

“N-no…”

“You said it hurts. This will make it better. Swallow it while I’m being nice.”

“I can’t swallow… I’m scared.”

Naru’s voice trembled. He remembered pills forced on him in the past—pills that made his body feel strange, as though dying.

Gyuyeon’s brows furrowed in frustration.

‘It’s just medicine. What’s so terrifying?’

But Naru whimpered, shaking his head.

“Try to swallow.”

“I can’t! I don’t want to!”

“Haah… maddening.”

Feeling like a criminal just for offering medicine, Gyuyeon sighed.

Then he shoved the pill and water into his own mouth.

His hand grabbed the back of Naru’s head, yanking him close.

Naru blinked, dazed—

And then—

“Mmm—!”

Lips pressed against his. Startled, Naru opened his mouth, and the pill with water slipped in.

Bitter. Strange. But it went down.

He swallowed hard, fingers brushing his lips in shock.

‘Kiss… lips touched. Tongue touched. That’s a kiss…!’

It was his first kiss.

Not even Beomhyeon, who had claimed to own him, had ever kissed him. He had always been “too dirty” for that.

But this man—this man kissed him without hesitation.

And it was to help him. To make him better.

“Uh… uh…”

“Do I really have to go this far? What a pain.”

Gyuyeon rinsed his mouth, disgust plain on his face. He hated contact, yet he’d done it anyway.

“Th-that… ki…”

“What are you babbling? Give me your hand. I’ll prick it—it’ll help.”

Rummaging for a needle, he took Naru’s hand firmly.

Naru’s head spun. Medicine, now a prick too?

But it felt like… concern.

His eyes softened, dazed, as a sharp sting pricked his thumb. Blood welled bright and red.

“B-blood… blood—”

“Stay still. I’ll get a tissue. If this drips on the sofa I’ll kill you.”

“Hew—ugh!”

“Stop making weird noises.”

More blood than expected welled up. Naru trembled, terrified.

Before it could drip, Gyuyeon pressed his thumb to his mouth, sucking roughly.

Naru gasped at the wet warmth of a tongue on his skin. He tried to pull away, but Gyuyeon’s grip held firm.

After sucking away the blood, he finally dabbed it with a tissue.

Naru, who had been moaning in pain earlier, forgot it all. His face flushed crimson.

Medicine. A prick. A kiss. All his firsts.

And then it dawned on him.

‘Right. I understand now. I’ve finally figured out why I’m here.’

‘This place is heaven. I escaped, I died, and now... I’m in heaven. Thank you. Thank you.’

His eyes shone with pure gratitude as he stared at Gyuyeon.

Yu Gyuyeon, in his eyes, was an angel.