Double Junk - 47

Chapter 47

“Pho-Photo?”

Ajin blinked like a startled rabbit. He couldn’t fathom why this was such a surprising request, to the point where he straightened up his shoulders. Seokju gently pushed Ajin’s disheveled bangs to the side, revealing the eyes he longed to see.

“Right. Let’s take one, just the two of us.”

“Why?”

“Because I want your picture.”

Ajin remained silent, tightly biting his lip. Seokju didn’t seem to know how to turn back. While it was understandable why they shouldn’t be in such a position, Ajin’s heart raced every time he heard those words.

He wants my picture. They live in the same house and share a bed every night, so why would he need that? These thoughts crossed his mind, but the corners of his mouth kept twitching upwards.

The photographer busied himself preparing for the photo. Seokju, in the meantime, took off the robe he had been wearing, exposing Ajin’s shoulders as he helped him into the robe. Ajin was entirely enveloped in the oversized robe. It didn’t feel like wearing clothes at all, more like a child wrapped in a blanket. Whether it was necessary or not, Seokju had him completely covered in the robe, adjusted it, and walked Ajin through the steps, with Ajin’s feet stepping lightly, and his mouth, eyes, and nose visible.

“The robe is touching the ground.”

“It’s fine. Just make sure the legs aren’t showing.”

“No, it’s not just that. It’s touching the ground, and it’ll get dirty. When you wash it, the silk gets damaged so quickly. It’s expensive…”

“It’s not that expensive.”

The silk was so smooth and soft, so it didn’t make sense for it to be not expensive unless Seokju had threatened the tailor to give it away for free.

Ajin’s face contorted strangely, but Seokju seemed to be in a very good mood. After taking care of Ajin’s appearance, he adjusted his own jacket. Ajin reached out and neatly smoothed Seokju’s shirt collar. Seokju smiled brightly.

Flash!

Suddenly, the flash went off, and Ajin, startled, looked at the photographer. Seokju did the same. The photographer bowed apologetically.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I pressed it by mistake… I’m really sorry… I’ve wasted film… I’ll take it again. Just a moment.”

As the photographer checked the camera again, Seokju stood next to Ajin. They were so close that Ajin’s shoulder was touching Seokju’s arm.

“Are you ready now? Shall we take it?”

Unlike before, the photographer asked with a calmer voice. It seemed that he was worried Seokju might get angry. However, Seokju just smiled and nodded. The photographer’s face brightened up.

“Alright, let’s take it. Don’t close your eyes, lower your chin a little, and that’s perfect. One, two, three.”

Seokju grinned, and Ajin forced his smile as wide as he could.

Flash! The world suddenly brightened again.

Ajin was about to return to his place after the photo. He handed back Seokju’s robe and turned around. But Seokju naturally took his hand.

“How about a walk?”

“What?”

“You said you’re full.”

“Uh…”

A walk. Ajin knew what it meant, but he had never experienced it. He had hardly left the gambling den in his life, so he had never been on a walk. Moreover, he was a hunchback. Therefore, Seokju’s suggestion was quite awkward and challenging. He even thought Seokju might be teasing him.

“There’s no car. It’s not a place for cars anyway. You don’t need to worry.”

Seokju added quickly. This made Ajin realize that Seokju genuinely wanted to take a walk with him. Ajin smiled faintly and nodded.

Seokju led Ajin to the backyard. It was a place beyond the right corner of the house shaped like a dan (丹), and the servants were always curious about what was happening there.

The area was surrounded by a wall as high as Seokju, with a single gate. The gate had two large locks, each as big as Ajin’s face, firmly fastened. Seokju took out a key from his pocket and opened the locks, which he was familiar with.

The gate soon swung open. Inside, there was a narrow path, and it was dark, unlike the bright courtyard and the moonlight. The smell of grass was very strong there. It smelled like dirt and wood too.

Seokju entered the door first. The side door was small, and Seokju had to bow his head and hunch his shoulders to fit through. After entering, he reached out his hand to Ajin, who hesitated.

“Can I come in here?”

“What’s not allowed?”

“The members said we should never step in here.”

“But I’m the boss now, so it’s fine.”

Seokju quickly gestured for him to come in. Ajin hesitated for a moment, then took Seokju’s hand. It was a place no other servant had ever entered. Seokju allowed only him to come in. It was impossible to ignore this special treatment.

Ajin’s feet crossed the threshold, and the floor was ordinary earth, but it was a bit softer than the courtyard floor, probably because it was less trampled on.

Once Ajin had entered, Seokju closed the door and locked it from the inside. Then they walked a few steps following the moonlight. They soon reached a place where a bright light was visible. There were a few streetlights, and beyond them, a large building stood majestically. Unlike Seokju’s traditional Hanok house, it was a three-story Western-style building. It seemed as large as the Jongno Police Station that Ajin had seen in the newspaper.

Ajin stared blankly at the massive building. Seokju had built this behind his house, and no one knew about it. It was hidden perfectly, with the mountains behind it and Seokju’s house in front.

As Ajin stood with his mouth agape, Seokju grabbed his hand. It wasn’t the building that Seokju took him to, but rather a forest path that led through dense trees. Sporadically placed electric lights provided subtle illumination.

“Come this way.”

Ajin was led by Seokju, but he kept looking back. The building had a mysterious feeling about it, even though it was a three-story structure. So, he couldn’t resist asking. Why was it built, and what was it used for? He had heard rumors about pharmaceutical production, but he wondered if such a massive building was necessary for that.

“What’s over there?”

As they walked with Seokju, Ajin asked, but then swallowed the question. He thought Seokju might get angry and wonder how he could ask such a question. However, Seokju replied in a low voice.

“It’s a drug factory.”

“A drug factory?”

“Yes, Philopon. I sell it abroad.”

“Is such a large building needed for making it?”

Seokju chuckled and laughed.

“Material storage, the smell is strong, so we need to ventilate it a lot. We also need a space to store the raw materials in bulk. It’s fine to store them in Jongno, but it’s far. If it’s far, it’s harder to manage.”

“Do you make that much medicine in a building that size?”

Ajin’s mouth was agape. He had never seen actual drugs, but he could imagine piles and piles of it. Seokju laughed softly.

“If there are as many materials as this tree, you can make this much Philopon.”

Seokju showed it with his hand not holding Ajin’s. Ajin frowned.

“This… only this much?”

“Yes, that’s why it’s expensive.”

Ajin nodded in understanding. He didn’t know what the material was, but if you needed this much material to produce such a small amount, it had to be costly. Ajin had an unnecessarily serious expression on his face, and Seokju gently stroked his head.

Ajin smiled back at him. Seokju couldn’t resist and kissed Ajin’s lips, then let go.

“Shall we go back? We can have some rice cakes in the room. That way, you’ll digest quickly.”

“No, I don’t want to.”

Ajin turned his head.

“Why don’t you want to?”

“I just don’t.”

“You should give a reason to make it convincing.”

Seokju wore an expression of frustration. Ajin stopped in his tracks, and Seokju, who had been matching his slow steps, also stopped. Ajin stared at Seokju intently. Then suddenly, he grabbed Seokju’s crotch, making Seokju gasp, and his erection was caught in Ajin’s hand.

“I’ll do it if you cut it in half.”

“…I just said I didn’t want to.”

Seokju clenched his jaw. Ajin continued walking forward, and because Seokju didn’t move, he tugged at his hand. Seokju reluctantly let go of Ajin’s hand.

Ajin glanced briefly at Seokju, and the shadows of the leaves occasionally cast over his face. Seokju seemed to be irritated. Seokju, irritated? It was an expression that didn’t suit him at all, but there was no other way to describe it.

His lower lip jutted out, his handsome eyebrows furrowed, and he stubbornly stared ahead. Ajin reached out to hold Seokju’s hand. When he was hesitating about something, he suddenly grabbed Seokju’s crotch, but it wasn’t fully erect yet.

“Why are you doing that?”

“I’m cold.”

Seokju looked down at Ajin, who had stuck to his side, then turned his gaze away and wrapped his arm around Ajin’s shoulder. His tense lips slowly curved upwards, as if asking when he had become so stiff. Seeing this, Ajin laughed softly, realizing that even the boss enjoyed being pampered. It was strange how adults enjoyed being touched.

The two of them continued to walk slowly. Due to Ajin’s shaky knees, Seokju had to lift his feet every time Ajin stumbled, and he would jokingly say,

“Should I carry you?”

Or,

“Do you want me to hold you?”

Ajin would shake his head each time. No matter how weak his legs were, he wanted to be recognized as a man. But Seokju treated him like a child or a puppy, regardless of whether he was a man or a woman.

Seokju and Ajin meandered through the forest, making their way back to the backyard. Ajin had wobbly knees, and every time he stumbled, Seokju, with a serious expression, would say,

“Should I carry you?”

Or,

“Do you want me to hold you?”

Ajin would shake his head each time. No matter how weak his legs were, he wanted to be recognized as a man. But Seokju treated him like a child or a puppy, regardless of whether he was a man or a woman.

Seokju and Ajin made their way back to the backyard, still brightly lit by the building they were looking at. Ajin, who was still gazing at the building, asked a question.

“Where did you learn to make medicine?”

“From my father.”

Ajin’s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected answer.

“You have a father, boss?”

“Yes.”

Ajin had never heard such a thing.

After all, he wasn’t born from an egg or dropped from the sky, and he might have parents. But he had never thought about it, so he was surprised to hear it for the first time.