A Contracted Gangster Who Has to Die to Survive - Chapter 109

“Read.”

The small number next to the message disappeared. He must have been holding his phone because he saw the message immediately.

But, as always, there was no reply.

It’s fine. I get it. You don’t have to respond. I know you’re busy.

Still, you too—sleep well.

“…Huh?”

For the first time in a long while, a message came back.

Was this real?

Did Taejoon actually send this?

Did he get hacked or something?

Taejoon, is that really you?

There was a pause before the reply came.

“Yeah.”

Prove it’s you.

“How?”

Someone else could be pretending to be you.

“Why would anyone do that?”

This is the first time you’ve ever replied to a message, you know?

“And yet, you somehow know it’s me.”

If I could hear your voice, maybe I’d believe it.

“I can’t call right now.”

Suspicious.

This time, there was a long silence.

Maybe he was actually thinking about how to prove himself.

I imagined his large hands hovering over the keyboard, typing with an expression of mild irritation.

Just picturing it made me grin to myself.

I sent another couple of texts, but he didn’t read them.

Maybe he had fallen asleep while texting?

Glancing at the time, I realized it was past 2 a.m.

I should sleep too.

Just as I was about to put my phone away—

A new message arrived.

A photo.

“Oh…”

The image was blurry, hastily taken.

Against a dark, cement-covered background—probably an outdoor site at night—was Taejoon’s open palm.

And resting in his hand—

His gold lighter.

“The lighter…!”

I knew exactly what that was.

Not long after we reunited, I had found that very lighter for him in the restroom.

Taejoon’s father’s keepsake.

The object he had kept with him until his very last moment in the original story.

It was probably this moment—when I returned it to him—that set everything in motion, leading to us living together.

A new message followed.

“Do you know what this is?”

Of course, I knew.

Even though Taejoon couldn’t hear me, I found myself whispering,

“Yeah… I know. I know it well.”

That day felt like so long ago.

Back then, the air had been thick with summer heat—

Now, it was cold enough to see my breath in the air.

A small smile spread across my lips as I typed back.

“Yeah, it’s really you.”

There was no reply after that.

For a while, I just stared at the photo.

Then, on impulse, I opened my gallery.

And restored all the pictures I had deleted earlier.

Each one, taken throughout the day—

From our meal together, to the karaoke, and finally, the café.

Most of the pictures of Taejoon were half-cut or slightly blurred since I had been sneaking them.

But no matter which one I tapped on—

He still looked good.

Then, I opened the last photo.

The one we had taken together in the car.

I was grinning ear to ear, while Taejoon stared straight into the camera, his face blank with an unreadable expression.

Like heaven and hell sitting side by side.

Like an angel and a devil in one frame.

I had teased him about looking like a mugshot, but in truth—

That serious, indifferent look was what I liked most about him.

More than when he was smiling.

More than anything.

My fingers hovered over the screen.

Suddenly, I had the urge to print this photo.

Phones could be lost.

Photos could be deleted.

If Taejoon asked me to erase them, I’d have to comply.

I need to find a way to get this printed soon.

That thought lingered in my mind as I slowly drifted off to sleep.

I awoke to a noise.

…What was that?

The sound came from the front door.

Half-asleep, I barely registered the approaching footsteps in the hallway.

Then—

The bedroom door creaked open.

“…Huh?”

A sharp scent cut through the air—

The metallic tang of blood.

And the faint chill of the early winter night.

Then, a shadow stepped inside.

A familiar figure.

“…Taejoon?”

Even in my drowsy state, I could tell—

It was him.

The towering frame, the heavy presence.

I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand, trying to wake myself up.

Maybe I was dreaming.

Maybe I was still half-asleep.

“…Did I wake you?”

“…What time is it?”

He didn’t answer.

Instead—

Just as I was about to sit up, he slipped under the blanket.

“…I’ll just lie here for a bit. Then I’ll go.”

The mattress tilted slightly under his weight.

I knew he had come home before while I was asleep—

Quietly peeking in through the door, checking on me.

But this—

This was the first time he had actually climbed into my bed.

Something was wrong.

“…Did something happen?”

We were now facing each other.

Then—

He wrapped an arm around my shoulder.

“…Nothing happened.”

It was too dark to see his expression.

But I could feel it.

The exhaustion.

The unspoken weight.

The simple desire to rest.

A vague memory surfaced—

A few days ago, he had mentioned how long it had been since he last had a proper night’s sleep.

“Just for thirty minutes…”

“Get some rest.”

Without thinking, I reached out—

And loosened his tie.

The movement made him tilt his head up slightly, as if startled.

“…What are you doing?”

“You’re still dressed like this… It looks uncomfortable.”

“…I was just going to lie down for a bit before heading to the shower.”

“Relax. It’s not like I’m going to do anything weird.”

“…I never said you would.”

“Then stop overthinking and come closer.

“You’re too close to the edge.

“You might fall off.”

Coopted closer to the wall, making room for Taejoon, and pulled up the blanket that had been warmed by my body heat.

“I know you’re busy, but instead of just thirty minutes, why don’t you sleep for an hour or two before you go?”

There was no response.

We had slept in the same bed a few times before, but tonight felt… different.

It wasn’t anything suggestive—more like I had a large, exhausted dog burrowing into my bed.

An instinct to hold him, to protect him stirred within me.

“Do you want a pillow? I mean, I can be your pillow.”

The darkness had settled enough that I could faintly make out Taejoon’s features.

At my offer, the corners of his lips curled slightly.

I thought I even heard the faintest chuckle.

“Should I be the one giving you a pillow instead?”

He shifted, pulling out the arm he had been lying on, and casually offered it.

“No—no, really, I was serious. I can do it for you.”

But he just shook his head, still amused.

“You’ll break your arm.”

“If my arm were that fragile, it would’ve shattered long ago. Seriously, let me do it.”

“Move.”

“Come on, just rest your head here.”

I stretched out my arm, nudging him insistently.

“Don’t regret it. Once I fall asleep, I don’t move. You won’t be able to get your arm back.”

“That’s fine.”

After a moment, Taejoon finally relaxed and rested his head against my arm.

But he wasn’t fully letting go—he was still holding some tension.

“Just lie down properly. Get comfortable.”

I pressed lightly against his shoulder, urging him to settle in.

“What time should I wake you up?”

“Thirty minutes.”

“Got it. Two hours.”

Taejoon let out a small exhale, eyes fluttering shut.

Then, in a lazy, drowsy murmur, he said,

“The message… it was really me.”

I bit my lip to stifle a laugh.

I had been teasing him earlier about proving his identity over text.

“I know. You sent me a picture of your lighter.”

“What would you have done? If I had asked you to prove you were really you?”

It took me a second to realize what he was asking.

If he had asked me the same thing—how would I have proved it?

“I… never thought about it.”

He cracked his eyes open just slightly, staring at me.

“Think about it now.”

“Well…” I paused. “I guess I’d just call you.”

“What if you couldn’t call?”

“Then I’d send a picture of myself.”

“And if you couldn’t send a picture?”

“What are you trying to get at? What can I even do then?”

“Text.”

“Oh, come on…”

I furrowed my brows, actually taking the question seriously now.

“Should we set up a password? Like, if you ask ‘Is it really you?’ I answer with a random word?”

“What kind of word?”

“Something completely unexpected, so no one else could guess it. Like, if you say, ‘Is it really you?’ I say… ‘Beef.’”

Taejoon stared at me.

Then, he snorted.

“Beef? Are you hungry?”

“No! It has to be something random—so no one else can figure it out!”

“You are hungry.”

“I’m not!”

“Fine. I’ll buy you beef tomorrow. But for now, sleep. It’s way too late.”

“Fine… but you better take me.”

Still smiling, I carefully wrapped an arm around his shoulder, holding him gently.

“Sleep. Whatever happens tomorrow, we’ll deal with it then.”

His breaths, uneven at first, gradually slowed and steadied.

He drifted into deep sleep faster than I expected.

I pulled my hand away from his shoulder and simply watched him.

A powerful beast, curled up and at peace in my arms.

Warmth swelled in my chest.

Taejoon—

A man who hated singing, hated photos, had the pickiest taste in food, and was too busy to even see properly.

A man with a twisted, sharp-edged personality.

Why did I enjoy being with him so much?

Why did I keep waiting for him?

I didn’t have the answer.

I just knew I didn’t mind waiting.

As that thought lingered, I gently pulled the blanket over his shoulder.

And fell asleep beside him.