Clap - 26

Jaemin exerted force on his finger and pulled it out.

“Hmm…”

The stopper, which had become quite large, stubbornly resisted being pulled out. The hole that had been stretched also didn’t easily release the stopper.

Sweat beaded on his forehead. Groaning sounds escaped his lips. Being trapped under the kitchen counter and digging with his own hands, all kinds of despair flooded over him.

Jaemin gave up on the stopper. It seemed like it would feel like pulling out his own body if he stayed a little longer. Jaemin, who relaxed his body, leaned against the pile of pots. The cold, hard pots now felt like a different kind of blanket.

He closed his eyes.

But rather than dying as a guinea pig for the psychopaths’ experiments, it was better to die like this, he thought.

When Jaemin finally came to his senses, he was still inside the drawer. Dark, narrow, cold, and painful drawer. Jaemin scanned his surroundings with a blurry vision. Nothing had changed. He felt nauseous at the stubborn pile of pots.

“Ugh…”

His muscles all over his body tensed up. He hadn’t felt this much pain even after rolling on the construction site for a week. Sitting hunched over for a whole day caused bone-crushing pain.

Jaemin pushed his calf to change his position. As he lifted the opposite foot up, it kicked out. The foot, devoid of will, kicked the door. Thud! With an empty sound, the door opened.

“…”

Jaemin blinked rapidly. The door… it was open… When had it been open? He looked outside with a vacant gaze. The bright light was completely different from the last light he saw. This was sunlight, not artificial light.

The warm, cheerful, vibrant light. It was the first sunlight Jaemin had faced since being brought by Ihyun and Ichan.

Jaemin crawled outside as if possessed by something. The sunlight breaking over his forehead was touching. Tears welled up in his eyes. He had never thought he could feel such emotions from just sunlight.

Sitting haphazardly on the floor, Jaemin closed his eyes tightly. The sunlight falling on his face felt truly warm and ecstatic.

After spending a long time idly passing the time, Jaemin opened his eyes. A faint smell passed by his nose. Maybe it had been there from the beginning. He had missed the small freedom he had.

Jaemin touched his pitiful stomach. He felt the sunken belly under the thin t-shirt. The exposed genitals and pubic hair felt embarrassing every time they were exposed.

“Come here.”

At that moment, Ichan lightly tapped his knee. Jaemin raised his head sharply. Ichan’s black pupils were fixed on him.

“Come and eat, Jaemin.”

Ihyun smiled and spoke. His eyes, curving softly, couldn’t look more beautiful.

Jaemin approached an empty chair confidently. Trying to climb up with a creaking body wasn’t as easy as he thought. Then, Ichan clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

A large hand slid under his armpit. His body was lifted upwards. Jaemin found himself on Ichan’s lap. His cheeks flushed. Being on his lap, it felt awkward. Despite all the intimate moments they shared, this kind of physical contact felt very strange.

Jaemin tried to move his legs to get away. But it was a futile attempt. Ichan’s strong arms held him firmly.

Ihyun carried a chair and settled next to Ichan at the dining table. He reached out his long arm to grab a bowl of rice from the other side. The untouched bowl of rice was meant for Jaemin. It had been prepared and kept aside for him. It was lukewarm, not hot but just right to eat.

Ihyun scooped half of the rice onto a spoon and offered it to Jaemin. Jaemin looked back and forth between Ihyun and the spoon. He was contemplating whether to eat and surrender or refuse and starve to death. The contemplation didn’t last long.

Pride? Growing up as a poor orphan, he had never experienced it. Jaemin opened his mouth eagerly. The grains of rice scattering in his mouth tasted surprisingly delicious.

Ihyun’s chopsticks roamed over the side dishes. He picked up an egg roll, but by then Jaemin had finished all the rice. Ihyun chuckled lightly and offered more rice. This time, he quickly served the egg roll. Thanks to that, Jaemin could chew the rice and side dish together.