Unrequited Love Thresher-Chapter 35: He Says He’ll Buy It for Me

Standing in front of the gold-plated revolving doors, Ha Giyeon stared blankly at the building.

No wonder the exterior felt familiar—it was the department store Ha Dohoon used to frequent. Before the regression, he’d followed Dohoon here many times...

Why here, of all places?

It wasn’t the villa, thank god, but being dragged somewhere he hadn’t expected left him unsettled. There was no real reason for Choi Mujin to bring him to a department store. It wasn’t like he was asking for his opinion on clothes, and anything he bought would be carried out by the staff, so there was no need for a bag boy either.

And sometimes, after they finished shopping, the older boys would just leave him behind—so this place wasn’t exactly one full of good memories.

“What are you doing.”

Giyeon snapped out of it when Mujin nudged his shoulder and started walking ahead. He followed. Whatever it was he wanted, he just needed to hurry up and do it so he could make it to his part-time shift.

They rode the elevator to the top floor. When the doors opened, a personal shopper waiting out front bowed deeply in greeting. It was Mujin’s assigned shopper. Giyeon also bowed in return when the man greeted him as well.

Mujin, unfazed, walked straight past and headed to the personal shopper’s private room.

Inside was a space that looked like an entire luxury boutique transplanted into one room—clothing racks, shoes, accessories, and a table laid out with refreshments.

Seeing it again after so many years was disorienting, and Giyeon unconsciously shrank back, feeling small.

“We’ve prepared the items you requested, along with some new arrivals. If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to ask.”

Mujin began flipping through the clothes on the racks, scanning them one by one.

Meanwhile, Giyeon stood a little distance away, careful not to touch anything, nervous. The atmosphere, the scent of the space, the prices, the way the staff looked at him—everything made him deeply uncomfortable.

You could get all this way cheaper online, in flash sales or bundle discounts...

He knew it was rude to think that in a place like this, but he couldn’t shake the past.

The day his DNA results came out, all of his clothes were sold off by Secretary Kim. What remained were things that were either too big or too small. Even though he’d brought them with him because they were what he used to wear at his parents’ house, it only made him feel more pathetic. Expensive clothes in the wrong size—none of it suited him at all.

“Ha Giyeon. Come here.”

Startled out of his thoughts again, Giyeon approached Mujin, who held up a blue shirt and pressed it against his body.

“...?”

“This one’s no good.”

Mujin handed the shirt off to the staff and picked another item from the rack, once again holding it up against Giyeon’s body.

What is this?

He thought Mujin was picking clothes for himself, but now the clothes were being matched to him. Confused, Giyeon blinked slowly. He didn’t dare ask what this was about and instead started trying to guess who Mujin might be shopping for.

Naturally, he didn’t even consider himself as one of the options.

Was there a cousin of his built like me?

He started mentally going through the cousins he remembered from one of Mujin’s parties—

“Try this on.”

“I have to wear this too...?”

“This way, please.”

Before he could say anything more, he was half-shoved into the changing room with an outfit in hand, the price tag making his mouth drop.

Why do I have to try this on for a gift? he thought, feeling burdened. What if he tore it or ruined it somehow...

Carefully and quickly, Giyeon began to change.

He’d never wanted to be working more badly in his life.

***

“That one and that one too, please. And this in a darker color.”

“Yes, I’ll prepare those right away.”

Once the shopper stepped away to retrieve more clothes, Mujin focused on the shoes, hats, and watches on display, picking out the ones he thought would suit Giyeon.

The reason Mujin had come here today was simple.

It was to break Ha Giyeon’s lingering sulking.

He’d assumed that once they entered high school, Giyeon would go back to normal. But even now, he hadn’t changed. Ever since they ran into each other at Ha Dohoon’s house, Giyeon had bolted the moment Mujin so much as acknowledged him.

He’d expected him to smile—maybe even laugh.

Was he really serious about what he said that day...

The way he’d stood there, boldly declaring he wouldn’t even say hi anymore. Muttering to himself that it wasn’t like he couldn’t eat alone.

Honestly, Mujin had thought that by acknowledging Giyeon first, they’d naturally start seeing more of each other. He figured if he initiated things, even if Giyeon acted reluctant, he’d still accept an invite to eat together.

But he didn’t even catch a glimpse of his hair at lunch. He’d see Giyeon at the end of the hallway, only for him to vanish. If he went to the first-years’ floor, Giyeon would say he was running errands for a teacher or had a special class and run off.

At first, Mujin chalked it up to coincidence.

He’d seen Giyeon getting into Dohoon’s car, seen him talking with Kwon Jongseok before walking away—so he assumed things were smoothing over. But a few days ago, when Giyeon spotted him in the first-floor corridor and jumped out the window to escape—that was when he knew for sure.

He was over whatever grudge he had with Dohoon and Jongseok—but not with him.

He hadn’t expected Giyeon to stay mad for so long over being left at the villa. It wasn’t even that bad of a prank compared to what they usually pulled.

It pissed him off, the way Giyeon kept quietly avoiding him. He wanted to grab him by force and pin him down.

While thinking of how to fix things, Mujin remembered hearing that Dohoon had given Giyeon clothes once.

He’d heard that Giyeon hadn’t seemed particularly thrilled about it—and Mujin had scoffed at that.

Of course the reaction sucked. You only gave him one thing.

If you’re going to buy something, do it right.

This was probably the first time since they were little that ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) Mujin had ever given Giyeon a gift. It always seemed stupid for rich kids like them to exchange presents—they could all afford to buy things themselves.

Even among Dohoon and Jongseok, they didn’t exchange birthday gifts.

But Giyeon always remembered theirs. It wasn’t anything expensive. Wasn’t it a piercing last year? He didn’t even remember where it ended up—maybe he’d thrown it away. It didn’t matter. He never wore it anyway.

Even when he discarded them outright, Giyeon never got upset. The gifts he got from Giyeon always felt like pieces of affection. Even when he threw them away—he’d just keep giving.

Mujin didn’t mind that kind of affection.

His parents had always been busy with work and rarely home. Mujin spent most of his childhood alone in that big house. When he did see them or talk to them on the phone, they always said “I love you”—but Mujin never felt like they really meant it.

If they had truly loved him, they would’ve been there.

Maybe that was why, when he imagined the future, his parents were never in it—only his friends were.

Especially Ha Giyeon.

Mujin had planned to keep visiting school even after graduation—just to see him. He just wanted to make sure that idiot wasn’t wasting his affection on some weirdo.

Once Giyeon graduated, while Dohoon was away studying abroad, Mujin intended to take him out of that house and bring him to his own side.

Sure, they were technically family, but those people didn’t seem to like Giyeon much. And once Dohoon took over the company, Giyeon would probably be discarded anyway. So being with him would undoubtedly be the better option.

He’d lock Giyeon up in the officetel his father promised him and live with him.

If Giyeon could go back to the way he was before—Mujin was willing to let him live with him.

He wouldn’t have to work. He just had to stay quietly at home. Mujin hoped Giyeon would remain helpless. Just like when they were kids—he wanted him to come running when someone hit him, wanted to be the one to step in and protect him.

He could wait at home, maybe learn to cook. That was fine too.

They could come out like this once in a while and shop together.

“I’ll take this one.”

Among the watches the shopper showed him, Mujin picked the most expensive silver one.

“Would you like us to move it to the car with the clothing?”

“No. I’ll carry it myself.”

Turning away, Mujin headed toward the changing room where Giyeon was.

He figured maybe Giyeon was tired from trying on so many things, and that’s why he was taking so long.

Recalling the last shirt he’d handed over, Mujin yanked the changing room curtain open.

“Ha Giyeon, don’t take off the shirt. Just wear it as is and—”

“...!”

Giyeon’s back came into view, shirt half-off. The sight of pale skin made Mujin whip his head around, startled. Giyeon jumped, surprised too—but not overly rattled. They’d seen each other shirtless as kids, and at least it wasn’t a store clerk walking in.

“Hyung, what is it?”

“Don’t take the shirt off. Just wear it out.”

“...You want me to wear this?” frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

“Why? Don’t like it?”

“It’s not that. But I shouldn’t wear something that’s being gifted... I’ll get it dirty.”

“What?”

Mujin turned his head toward Giyeon again.

And in that moment, his gaze shifted from Giyeon’s face to his half-exposed back.

The lighting inside the changing room wasn’t that bright, but it was enough to see.

“Ha Giyeon.”

Mujin stepped forward and grabbed his shoulder.

“...!!”

Startled by the sudden grip, Giyeon started to twist away—but in the mirror in front of him, he clearly saw it.

“...What happened to your back.”

Choi Mujin, staring at the bruises on his back, his expression completely hardened.