Edited by: Waning_Crescents
As soon as they reached the Conciliators’ apartment complex, Asher and Nowe already waited for them. Nowe had persuaded Asher to wait for their arrival after Sigal gave them a call on their way back.
“Welcome back!” Nowe stood at the entrance with his hands behind the back of his head and a smile on his lips, while Asher leaned beside him against the wall, his hands folded in front of his chest.
At the impromptu welcome committee, Cal only managed to smile helplessly. “Th-thanks.”
“What’s this about?” Sigal asked, turning his attention to Asher.
Asher, however, only let out a sigh as he explained, “This idiot made me wait for you guys. Ask him.”
“Of course!” Nowe exclaimed. “I was worried! We are a family after all, right?”
Asher and Sigal exchanged glances which seemed to hold the same message: ‘Family? This guy? No fucking way.’ But neither of them said it out loud, and the tension between them could be cut with a knife.
“Say.” Nowe drew closer to Cal, lowering his voice. “Why did you run away? Did Sigal say something that ticked you off? Did he bully you?”
Cal only blinked at him for a second; the term ‘run away’ threw him off. Could it be called running away if he officially retired in a letter? He gazed warily through the corner of his eyes at Sigal, who still had an awkward staring contest with Asher. Did he not tell them?
He let out a sigh as he looked back at Nowe and shook his head. “No, nothing like that. It’s complicated.”
Nowe tilted his head slightly to the side. “Oh…” As if he had an epiphany, he slapped his fist into his own palm in the next second. “I know!”
“Huh?”
“If you ever need someone to talk to, you can come to me. I am a good listener.” Nowe grinned proudly.
While this energetic man in front of him overwhelmed Cal, he also found it quite charming. Nowe only had good intentions after all, so how could he refuse his kindness?
“Thank you, Nowe.” Cal smiled in return. “I will keep it in mind.”
When Cal spun around to call for Sigal to leave, he noticed Asher briefly glancing past him, and the air around them suddenly changed when he said something to Sigal. Both exchanged a few words, causing Cal to grow wary. What is going on?
“Sigal—“ before Cal could even finish his sentence, Sigal grabbed his wrist and walked inside the building, dragging him along.
Cal glanced at Sigal’s hand gripped tightly around his own as he followed along before he scrutinized his face. “Are you ok?”
Sigal slowed down, coming to a halt in front of the elevator. “I am now.”
“I am sorry.” Cal let his head droop down a little in regret. These words had been stuck in his throat since they got into the car and drove all the way back. But now that he had taken a better look at Sigal, he noticed his slightly swollen, reddened eyes and his pale skin— all indicators that he must have gone to great lengths to find him. “I am sorry I worried you.”
Sigal turned around, put his index finger and thumb under Cal’s chin, and raised it to meet his eyes. “Just don’t ever scare me like that again, ok?”
“I promise.”
The ding of the elevator interrupted them, and both stepped inside. Cal leaned against the back of the elevator as the door closed and let out a noiseless sigh. “You didn’t tell them I quit, did you?”
“No.”
“Of course, you didn’t.” Cal slapped his own forehead. “Now I seem like some runaway—“ Cal choked back the rest of his words as he remembered what he had been doing before Sigal had arrived. The kid!
“Hm?”
“Sigal, I was investigating the disappearance of a kid!” Cal panicked. “His father is waiting for news. I completely forgot!”
“Don’t worry. How do you think I found you?” Sigal answered. “I talked to that fella and also referred him to the police for now.”
“You did?” Cal let out a sigh of relief. “Thank god.”
“But pretty bold of you to take up a case after you quit, don’t you think?”
Cal averted his gaze and murmured, “It just happened. I didn’t plan it.”
“So, what did you find out?”
Cal shook his head. “Not much. His mother works in one of the brothels, and the family situation doesn’t seem too great. The neighbors said it wouldn’t surprise them if he just ran away, but…”
“But?”
“I don’t know. Something seems off to me, but I can’t put my finger on it. I just have a bad feeling about this.”
“I see,” Sigal said. “For now, let the police handle it. If there is anything else, we will know.”
Cal nodded.
As soon as they entered the apartment, Sigal’s expression got more serious. He straight away walked to the window in the living room, drew the curtains shut, and peered through them outside as if he were searching for something.
“What’s wrong?” Cal asked as he walked to him and glanced past.
“We have been followed.”
“Followed?”
Sigal nodded, signaling for him to stay away from the window.
Cal did as told and sat down at the nearby couch with a thoughtful expression. So, that’s what that was about.
“Why would anyone follow us?” Then it hit him. “The cartel?”
Sigal tried to catch sight of the culprit outside. He knew that the one following him and Cal could only be Axis or one of his goons.
Through the corner of his eyes, Sigal spotted Cal’s concerned, yet confused, expression and tried to explain the situation without giving away too many details. “We are all targets right now. That’s why we must be extra careful until this matter is dealt with, you understand?”
Cal nodded. Although he could tell that Sigal hadn’t spoken the entire truth, he also refrained from digging deeper into that matter. He guessed that this concerned his memories, so he let it be. Even if Sigal had been willing to tell him the truth, Cal didn’t have enough energy to stomach more information right now. After he evoked some fragments in his mind, he understood everyone’s concern. The pain, the shock, the feeling of falling into a nightmare…if the majority of his memories consisted of such strong emotions, and if he were to gain them all at once, then he wasn’t sure if he really could take it. After all, every little bit he recalled drained his body and mind, leaving him with a queasy feeling.
However, what Sigal mentioned before, that he had been in danger, still lingered in his mind, and he wondered. I don’t know what happened down in that basement, but…is it possible that my father is involved in this?
In the next second, Cal got pulled out of his thoughts when Sigal sat down on the coffee table opposite him, grabbed his shirt, and lifted it.
“Sigal! Wh-what are you doing?” Cal stuttered in embarrassment as he shrank back a bit, panic visible in his eyes. “I’m not—”
“I am just checking your injuries.” Sigal eyed him for a moment, but then slightly bent forward, leaving a peck on his forehead. “Don’t worry, I won’t ever do anything you are not ready for.”
Cal gave a slow nod. He sat still, letting Sigal unwrap the bandages around his torso. As his warm fingers touched Cal’s skin, his scalp tingled, and an indescribable sensation flooded over him, the heat coloring his cheeks a tint of red. He turned his head away and only glanced through the corner of his eyes at him. Even though Sigal appeared a little haggard from exhaustion, he still looked extremely handsome. I really wish he wouldn’t push himself so much for my sake. He truly is—
“Considering you forgot to take your medicine with you, luckily they didn’t get infected.”
Huh? Sigal’s voice, which held a hint of displeasure in it, snapped Cal out of his daze, and his heart sank. I really did forget it. The corner of his mouth twitched helplessly as he noticed the slight frown on Sigal’s face. He is mad.
“I-I am sorry. I was wrong, I was wrong.”
Sigal let out a sigh. “Go, take care of it now, or…” A grin spread across his lips. “Should I do it?”
Cal quickly shook his head. “No need!” He jumped up and hurried to the bathroom.
After Cal took a shower and tended to his wounds, he walked back into the living room, where Sigal chopped vegetables in the open kitchen.
“Sigal…” Cal rubbed his hair dry with a towel as he walked up to him. “You don’t have to do that. You should get some rest.”
“It’s no big deal. Don’t worry about it.”
That Sigal refused to take a break started to worry Cal; it was clearly visible that he had reached his limit, yet he kept going. A feeling of concern washed over him; he drew closer and wrapped his arms from behind around Sigal, resting his head on his back. “Please, get some rest.”
Sigal froze for a brief second at this unexpected encounter, but then a soft smile formed and reflected in his eyes. “It’s almost done. I will, after we eat. Okay?”
“Alright.”
The whole process of chopping and making a quick meal for the two of them was done in a short amount of time. Sigal placed the plate with several small sandwiches on the table, and both took their seats side by side on the couch. Cal hadn’t eaten all day, so he savored each bite he took as if it was a five-star menu, while Sigal watched him in satisfaction before he grabbed one himself.
“I actually—“ As soon as Cal started to talk, something heavy bumping against his shoulder startled him, and he stopped in his tracks. When he glanced to the side, Sigal lay there with his eyes closed, dozing away.
I knew he was tired. Cal smiled as he looked at him. Guess this can wait until tomorrow. Then he gently kissed him on the forehead and whispered. “Good night.”
When Sigal woke up, night had already fallen, and only the moonlight from outside dimly lit up the room. Cal had fallen asleep as well; his head rested against his, which caused Sigal some difficulty slipping away without waking him up. Cal let out an almost inaudible sound at the slight movement, but he didn’t wake up.
Sigal let out a sigh of relief and carefully picked him up. He carried him into the bedroom, where he laid him on the bed and covered him with a thin blanket, which was more suitable for summer nights. Cal rolled to the side, clutched it between his slender fingers, and curled up in it. The corner of Sigal’s mouth slightly lifted at this sight before he stealthily left the room and closed the door behind him.
He put away the plates from the coffee table before he went for a hot shower. After a taxing day and night of driving and running around, it was the first time he allowed himself to take a breather.
When he got out of the shower and went back into the kitchen, all the strength he had accumulated—to not get crushed by anxiety—left him all at once. He supported himself on the counter, trembling all over as he buried his face in his palm. Thank God. Before he had tracked Cal down, he had already painted all kinds of scenarios in his mind, terrified that he had been too late. His imagination basically went bonkers, and as a result, his anxiety had risen to an unimaginable level. Even after he found him, he stayed at a certain level of high tension, afraid that if he loosened up, everything would crash down on him.
With shaky hands, he grabbed a small glass from one of the cabinets and filled it with whiskey before letting the liquid run down his throat. He took a deep breath, and his pulse finally started to slow down. He rarely resorted to alcohol to cool his head, but this once, he needed it.
After he downed another glass, he stored the items away and went back to the bedroom to get some more sleep himself, but when he entered the room, he found a rather restless Cal. He turned from one side to the other, mumbling some incoherent words, “No…” His breathing quickened. “…Stop…please…” He dug his nails into the sheet as if in pain.
Sigal’s eyebrows twitched, gazing in worry at him. Just what did he remember? He moved onto the bed, looped his arms around him, and reeled him into an embrace while he whispered, “Everything is fine. You are safe.”
At this soothing and familiar voice, Cal calmed down before he unconsciously turned around and snuggled into Sigal’s chest. Sigal hugged him tighter, as if trying to shield him from all the pain. I’ll keep you safe, I promise.
