I’m Not That Obsessive

Chapter 47

“…You sly dog.”

Finally, the rope was cut, and I returned to the real world. Mitchell kept trying to make me the object of his amusement. He might even think of me as his plaything.

Yawning, I went to the bathroom to wash up, put on Mitchell’s clothes, and ate the lunchbox he had heated up. Mitchell always had breakfast first, and I followed suit later.

“Hey, Mitchell. You know my brother Junman’s friends are coming to our place today, right?”

I casually asked when I was about halfway through the lunchbox filled with scrambled eggs, french fries, and vegetables. Lately, egg dishes had been appearing on the table frequently. So much so that it wouldn’t be strange if chicken feathers started flying around.

“Yeah.”

Mitchell was sitting on the living room sofa, checking his tablet while I ate. He responded to my comment but didn’t look at me.

“So, I was thinking, should we go out for a few days?”

“What?”

That’s when he finally looked at me. I grinned and explained my plan.

“I feel like we’ll definitely run into them if they come to our place.”

It’s not like they’re coming from the next town over, but from Korea to America. If they weren’t Junman’s acquaintances, I would have even gone to the airport to pick them up. It’s the least we could do for people who’ve come such a long way, right?

But they were uninvited guests. We could refuse to open the door or even kick Junman out, but I’m the type to pretend to be nice, so I couldn’t be that harsh.

It seems I still had some brotherly feelings left. Even though I complained about annoying people and said I never wanted to see them again, I couldn’t completely cut Junman off.

This would be the last time anyway. I wanted to let this slide, make sure Bae Junman couldn’t whine anymore, and then end the relationship. 

I thought it would be fine as long as Mitchell and I didn’t show ourselves to them, whether they came or not.

“Never mind me, but I don’t want you to. I don’t want you to run into those guys.”

I knew very well what kind of people made up Junman’s group.

They were like moths to a flame, obsessed with women and entertainment. Chasing momentary pleasures, their future was unclear, and they kept spending money recklessly in their hazy present.

Among them were people with successful parents and those with successful friends. And that successful friend was Junman. He had given my money to his friends.

Relationships entangled with money are this loose and dirty. I didn’t want to let Mitchell mix with those people covered in filth. Junman alone was enough to make my blood boil.

“Where were you planning to stay?”

Mitchell dispelled my worries that he might refuse with one statement. He leaned back on the sofa and looked at me with relaxed eyes. I was so grateful that I momentarily thought about caressing his face.

“A nearby hotel?”

“If you and I go to a hotel, reporters will show up.”

Reporters? I thought, but looking at the illustrious Mitchell, it made sense in a way. This is the land of paparazzi, after all. If we’re unlucky, all sorts of things could get tangled up.

“But is it strange for us to go to a hotel?”

“It’s a bit odd to share a room when we have a house nearby.”

“Hmm. If we get separate rooms… Ah, I don’t like that.”

“We could book two rooms, and you could come to my room. But it’s still weird, right? Why stay at a hotel when we have a house?”

“I can explain that. We’re giving space to my brother’s acquaintances from Korea, to avoid disturbing them.”

“Why avoid them if they’re acquaintances? I understand you, but why me too?”

“Ah…”

“You might not know, but I’ve had a gay scandal in the past. If I go to a hotel with you… it’s not good.”

At first, I wondered what was so strange about two men going to a hotel, but if the person involved in the scandal was reluctant, I couldn’t insist.

“I’ve seen your scandal. In ‘The Show’ magazine. But doesn’t everyone know that content isn’t trustworthy? Most of it is fabricated. I think it was reported as false information, right?”

“That’s right. It was reported as false. I even sued. Still, I don’t want to do anything that might raise suspicions. There are people who are bothered by me here and there…. And ‘The Show’, they don’t publish unverified articles these days. I have a journalist friend there, and it’s different from before.”

I nodded, and Mitchell continued.

“Just stay at home. I don’t mind meeting those people, so if you’re okay with it, we can just stay here. Or you could go to the hotel alone….”

Mitchell trailed off. He shook his head as if he didn’t like what he was saying. I finished his thought.

“How could I go to the hotel alone and leave you here? That’s not possible. Absolutely not. I want to be with you. I’ll just stay here.”

Mitchell tapped his tablet with his fingers and stared at me intently. He bit his lip with his even teeth as if trying to suppress a wide smile.

“But Mitchell, are you really okay with this? Junman’s friends are kind of…”

“It’s fine.”

“…Don’t greet them even if you happen to see them. Ah! No, let’s just leave early and come back late. That’ll work! We can leave before they wake up and come back after they’ve gone to sleep.”

A solution of sorts had been found. The hotel plan was scrapped, and I would come and go from Mitchell’s house as usual. We decided not to worry about Junman’s friends.

I already knew why Junman had invited his friends to my house. He’s the type who likes to show off and is full of false pride. He must have been desperate to brag about this place to his acquaintances. I could clearly picture them partying hard for a day and putting on airs. That was as far as my expectations went.

So I had no idea. How terrible people can become depending on their mindset.

Ah, of course, I’m not talking about Junman, but about someone else.

Mitchell Cronenwirth was exactly that kind of person.

***

“You bastards! Long time no see!”

Junman, leaning on the iron gate, enthusiastically welcomed his friends getting out of taxis. As soon as the two taxis they had split into arrived, noisy chatter broke out.

Thanks to the second house construction work that had been going on since morning, the iron gate was completely open. Junman had worried about how to open the door if Geon-woo wasn’t home, but he was relieved that it wasn’t necessary.

“You country bumpkins. Is this your first time in a place like this?”

“Holy shit! This is amazing! Is that it? Is that where Geon-woo lives?”

“Yeah, man. I’ve been living the high life here for a few days. I wonder how I’ll manage when I go back to cramped Korea.”

“This guy’s already changed. Living the top 1% life, huh? You’re full of it.”

“So damn lucky. Fuck!”

Seeing his excited friends, Junman spoke leisurely.

“Enjoy it to the fullest. When else would you get to come to a place like this if not for me?”

Junman boasted about Geon-woo’s house as if it were his own. All the while, he kept glancing at unfamiliar women, and he set his sights on one with the longest hair. Junman naturally imagined the woman’s naked body.

What followed was an even more outrageous fantasy. Suddenly, Mitchell appeared. Mitchell, the woman, and himself, the three of them rolling around in bed.

Having tried all sorts of things, Junman was no longer excited by ordinary acts. He wasn’t satisfied with normal intimacy between a man and a woman, but needed at least a threesome with either an extra man or woman.

The person suddenly selected for this fantasy was Mitchell. Junman imagined a night with Mitchell and the long-haired woman.

If he could just persuade Mitchell well, it seemed like anything was possible.

Junman felt inexplicably confident. He had already deluded himself into thinking he was close with Mitchell.

‘I didn’t expect Mitchell to actually come.’

It was lucky that he could talk to Mitchell without Geon-woo around. Although all he did was show translated sentences on his phone, it was better than nothing!

He had completely given up, but Mitchell came. Moreover, when he finished telling his prepared story, Mitchell’s expression was quite a sight. Junman surely thought it was hostility towards Geon-woo. Now that he had secretly soured their relationship, Mitchell was no longer truly on Geon-woo’s side.

Regardless of what their relationship was originally like, he must have succeeded in driving a wedge between Mitchell and Geon-woo. Causing strife between them was as easy as emptying Geon-woo’s pockets.

“Come in, welcome.”

Junman opened the front door of Geon-woo’s house. He used his brother’s wealth as if it were his own. He felt no awkwardness as he had always done so.

“Hey, do you guys want to see Mitchell’s house? I asked Mitchell to leave the door open. Geon-woo and Mitchell are really close. I’m benefiting from that too.”