Chapter 9

“Is this son of a bitch crazy?!”

The man whose arm had been bitten shoved Naru’s head away.

Naru, who had kept his teeth sunk in until the end, staggered back as pain shot across the back of his skull.

The room’s atmosphere dropped into something heavy and irreparable.

Naru wiped his mouth with his sleeve and glared. His usually mild eyes sharpened, flashing with something that almost looked dangerous. Almost.

“Don’t mess with Gyuyeon.”

The words landed like a stone in water, silencing the room.

“What the hell did he just say?”

“I think… he said not to bother Yu Gyuyeon. What the hell does that even mean?”

Two girls whispered at the edge of the table, their expressions baffled.

Don’t bother Yu Gyuyeon?

No one here had been bothering Yu Gyuyeon. If anything, Naru had been the target since the moment he walked in. Yet now, the victim was defending the one who had brought him here.

It was absurd. And yet—Naru’s wide, earnest eyes showed he was completely serious.

“What? When did I ever bother Gyuyeon, you lunatic?!”

“You were bothering him while I wasn’t around.”

“This guy’s out of his mind. Seriously insane!”

The man barked back, frustrated. After all, it was he who had been cursed out by Gyuyeon, not the other way around.

After Naru left, he’d done what he always did—talked big, postured, tossed barbs at the so-called nouveau riche. Gyuyeon had told him flatly to shut up and thrown in a string of sharp curses for good measure. It stung, and he’d been angry ever since.

Now, on top of that, there was talk he had bullied Gyuyeon? Ridiculous.

“What do you even know, you—! You’re not worth a single punch!”

“Put your hand down.”

“…No, Gyuyeon. This bastard—!”

“I said put your hand down.”

The man froze. He had raised his hand to strike Naru, but Gyuyeon’s grip clamped around his wrist like iron. No matter how he strained, he couldn’t bring it down.

Naru flinched, shoulders curling in, expecting the blow—but when it didn’t come, he peeked up and secretly smiled.

He’d thought Gyuyeon meant to humiliate him tonight. But now, Gyuyeon was protecting him. Maybe he’d been wrong after all.

The truth was that Gyuyeon had brought him here with that exact intention. But another misunderstanding piled neatly on top of the first.

“You—come with me.”

Without another word, Gyuyeon seized Naru’s wrist and dragged him out of the room. His slight frame was pulled along without resistance, swallowed by the crowd and spat out into the cool night air.

Only then did Naru’s thoughts catch up. The man he’d bitten… he was Gyuyeon’s friend.

You must never bite your owner’s friends. He’d made a huge mistake.

Even if Gyuyeon had shielded him, his expression had been tight with anger. To Naru, the reason was obvious: ‘he’s mad because I bit his friend.’

Lighting a cigarette with practiced ease, Gyuyeon exhaled smoke into the night. He always smoked when his thoughts turned heavy.

Naru trembled at his side, watching his face with unease. If scolding came, he’d have no excuse—this time, it really had been his fault.

But Gyuyeon felt something else entirely. Guilt.

I brought him here just to put him down, and he’s the one worrying about me… dull, stupid, or just too kind.

He wanted to apologize, but the words stuck in his throat. He’d never done it before.

“I-I’m sorry,” Naru blurted first, voice trembling despite the brave front. “You introduced me to your precious friends and I bit him… But I really thought Gyuyeon was being bullied…”

The cigarette burned down between Gyuyeon’s fingers. The apology wasn’t what he’d expected—it made his chest twist faintly.

What the hell. I planned to screw him over, and he’s apologizing to me?

“I’ll go back and apologize properly.”

“Where are you going?”

After being humiliated like that, he wanted to return and bow his head. Gyuyeon grabbed his arm and stopped him.

The one who needed to apologize wasn’t Naru. It was him.

But Naru looked back at him with innocent confusion, as if wondering why he was being held.

“You have to apologize,” Naru insisted. “So you and that person don’t end up on bad terms…”

“Enough. Don’t go.”

“I will apologize.”

“I said don’t!”

“Ugh, let go of me!”

This time, when Gyuyeon grabbed his arm, Naru twisted hard and actually broke free.

Gyuyeon’s patience frayed. The absurdity of it all—Naru should have been the one protected, yet he was fighting to apologize instead.

“Just stay still.”

“I’m really fine. Let me go.”

“What’s fine about it? You almost got hit!”

The sharp shout froze Naru in place. His lips parted, then closed again. He didn’t know what to feel—he wanted to like Gyuyeon, but wasn’t sure he should.

So… he really was worried about me.

Gyuyeon’s expression was taut with seriousness. But Naru’s chest lightened, warmth spreading under his ribs.

He lowered his head to hide the smile tugging at his lips, bowing deeply to keep it from escaping.

“I’m the one who brought you here, remember?” Gyuyeon muttered.

“No.”

“I haven’t forgotten. So why aren’t you angry? I did it on purpose…”

“On purpose?”

The words slipped out before he could stop them. He had meant to say he’d brought Naru here deliberately to humiliate him, but he swallowed the rest. Saying it aloud might wound him.

Naru tilted his head. He didn’t really grasp the meaning. Being bullied was something he’d long been used to—resentful for a moment, maybe, but quickly forgotten. What mattered was that Gyuyeon had protected him.

“No… I’m the one who’s sorry.”

“Why would you be, Gyuyeon…?”

“Why? Forget it. I’m just sorry.”

The apology felt strange on his tongue. He’d never lowered himself like this before, but somehow the word slipped out anyway.

Naru blinked in surprise. He’d lived his life apologizing, but never once been apologized to. Not even when wronged.

And yet, Gyuyeon said it easily.

His heart pounded. ‘He has money, a home, everything… but he’s the first truly humble person I’ve met. Gyuyeon is so kind.’

A radiant smile bloomed on his face.

“Thank you…”

“What are you thanking me for?”

“F-for apologizing.”

“Idiot. You don’t thank someone for saying sorry.”

Ah. So you don’t have to say thank you when someone apologizes.

Nodding quietly, Naru tucked the lesson away.

Gyuyeon, uncomfortable, turned away and called a driver. He was drained, his head heavy. All he wanted now was to go home.

Meanwhile, Naru’s gaze wandered to the bustling street.

“I called a driver. Over here—”

“Wow, that looks tasty.”

“I said over here. Why are you staring over there?”

He pulled Naru closer, but his eyes kept darting to a nearby street stall.

A drunk stumbled away with a white paper bag. Inside, Naru glimpsed something golden: fish-shaped pastries, bungeoppang, stuffed full of red bean. His stomach tightened.

“I want to eat that…”

“You’ve been muttering about food for a while now.”

“That one.”

“Pathetic. You want to eat that? Street food? Filthy stuff.”

But Naru kept nodding, gaze locked. Gyuyeon sighed and shoved his wallet at him.

“Go buy it, then.”

“Yes!”

He darted off, cheerful as a child, chatting with the stall owner as he bought them.

While Naru clutched the warm bag to his chest, Gyuyeon lit another cigarette, his eyes following him the whole time.

When he returned, the designated driver pulled up.

“Are you the one who called?”

“…Yeah.”

They slid into the back seat. Gyuyeon eyed the bag with disgust. He didn’t want the smell of oil in his car.

Misreading his look, Naru pulled one out and held it up.

“Try it.”

“I’m not eating that.”

“It’s good.”

“I said no—”

Before he could finish, Naru shoved half the pastry into his mouth.

“Isn’t it delicious?”

Exasperated, Gyuyeon chewed slowly, then swallowed. He normally thought the stuff was unhygienic, but tonight… it wasn’t bad.

“Hey, you.”

He wiped his mouth, remembering earlier.

“What the hell were you thinking, biting someone like that? If he pressed charges, you’d be in trouble. Next time, think before you act.”

“Why?”

“Do you have as much money as me? Enough to pay compensation?”

He wanted to scold him for being reckless, but couldn’t bring himself to tell him to just stay quiet and take abuse.

Naru tilted his head. “No, I don’t have money. But Gyuyeon, who gives me food and a bed, is the best.”

“…What?”

The words blindsided him. He’d been talking about damages, money—and Naru suddenly declared him ‘the best.’

Impossible to understand.

Running a hand through his hair, Gyuyeon gave up trying.

“So. Have you finally thought of apologizing to me?”

“About biting your friend? I’m sorry…”

“No, not that.”

“Other than that? …I haven’t done anything wrong.”

Hopeless.

Even after everything, he had no intention of apologizing.

Gyuyeon turned away, biting down curses. And Naru, smiling innocently beside him, looked up as though nothing had happened.

Is he teasing me? Playing with me?

It was so absurd, Gyuyeon didn’t even feel anger anymore.

Closing his eyes, he leaned back. Better to sleep until they reached home.

In the silence, Naru checked that his eyes were closed. Then, softly, he began to sing him a lullaby.

It was absurd. Ridiculous. And yet, it filled the quiet car with something strangely tender.