Chapter 4
"Where the hell are you, idiot?!"
Gongyun rolled his eyes, his irritation evident. He had never answered a call with such a brusque attitude before, and he was tempted to tell the caller to go away.
Usually, the voice calling him was sweet and cheerful, but this time it was a harsh, ear-splitting annoyance.
"I don't know," he replied, only to be met with a barrage of insults from the other end.
"Are you really that stupid? Damn it, just turn on your GPS, idiot!"
Gongyun was beyond furious, his frustration palpable. He wanted to punch the man on the other end of the line, his irritation clear. An idea sparked in his mind, and he grinned with a dark, almost unrecognizable look in his eyes—one only his close friends and family would recognize. A mischievous grin spread across his lips as he spoke.
"Hyung... I'm in Busan. My phone is dying! Hyung! I don't know where—"
Gongyun abruptly ended the call and quickly powered off his phone. He snickered afterward, his laughter wild and unhinged.
Jamie has an apartment that his siblings don't know about. It was given to him by his biological father when he was in middle school. Jamie always keeps the key in his bag and is thankful for the cash he has.
Gongyun took a taxi to a nearby store to buy cleaning supplies and some take-out food. No one lives in the apartment, and Gongyun needed the empty place to sort out his thoughts and come up with a plan so he wouldn't embarrass himself in front of others. He rolled his eyes and looked ahead.
This world feels too similar to his own, like a parallel universe. He tried searching for his name but found nothing. Everything and everyone he knows from his world doesn't seem to exist here. It's confusing, as if neither he nor the people he knows exist in this world. It felt strange.
Gongyun arrived at the tall building with eleven floors. His apartment is on the fourth floor. He asked the receptionist about the apartment because it is very high-end. Jamie's father lives abroad with his own family. This apartment was the last gift Jamie received before his parents divorced. Jamie's father learned that Jamie's mother had children with a man named Kim before they got married. They were once involved in a complicated situation involving the mafia, which messed up their relationship. They separated, but having children wasn't enough to fix things. Jamie's mother married her current husband, but they divorced because of the trouble with the Kim mafia. Jamie's mother then remarried her first husband, and they had another child together.
Jamie's family relationships are so complicated that Gongyun wants to forget about them and avoid getting involved.
The security guard helped Gongyun carry the cleaning supplies to his apartment. Fortunately, the place is cozy and well-equipped. There is no food, as expected, and dusk is settling in. Gongyun sighed with disapproval as he began cleaning the apartment.
He hated messes. The place was too plain for his taste, but the dark gray paint helped calm him down. The apartment was designed to suit Gongyun's preferences, not Jamie's, who liked bright colors. Jamie's biological father must have thought Jamie would enjoy a bachelor pad rather than a cozy place where Jamie felt secure. Feeling guilty, Gongyun decided to compromise. He planned to add more colors so that Jamie would feel a sense of belonging, even though Jamie was no longer there.
Gongyun cleaned every corner, including an empty room he planned to turn into an office and game room. He needed more appliances, tables, chairs, and a couch. He also required curtains and painting supplies. He wanted to paint one wall of the office to make it feel like his own space, adding his personal touch and marking it as his.
He finished cleaning halfway, focusing more on his bedroom since he would be sleeping there. The cabinet contained new mattresses and comforters, still unused. They were in gray, white, and black, and Gongyun's heart fluttered because he liked them so much. He was genuinely thankful to Jamie's father for having such good taste.
He never charges his phone or iPad and turns everything off so no one can find him.
Gongyun likes being in a fresh and cozy space while he adjusts to his new life. After dinner, he sleeps deeply, not worrying about those who might want to hurt him.
End of chapter 4.