(Arc 2 : Blood and Love)


[The day before Gwenval and Kaelan arrive at the Turquoise]

"Secretary Shin, I have two very important missions for you to carry out." Ashlay announced dramatically.

"Go ahead, sir."

Secretary Shin took out his notebook and prepared to listen carefully to what Ashlay had to say.

"First : when Gwenval and Monroe will arrive tomorrow morning, I want you to stay with them at all times. Make sure they are not disturbed."

"Yes, sir."

"Second : I want you to check for any marks on Gwenval's back. A scar, a tattoo or a birthmark, for example."

"Why ?"

The secretary found this second request rather strange.

"A hunch. Since the attack last time, something's been bothering me. Even if it's a butterfly, I still want to know for sure."

"Why don't you ask him directly?"

"I wanted to ask him on the phone, but I thought it would be inappropriate. Since you'll be with him tomorrow, you can check it out for me directly."

"And sending his secretary to follow him to verify that, isn't inappropriate ?"

"It's not the same thing. You're more discreet. If you're the one who “accidentally” find a tattoo or else, it'll look less suspicious."

Shin Ha Ri raised an eyebrow. He found it hard to understand Ashlay's logic sometimes.

"I suppose asking Mr. Monroe could also be misunderstood too." Ha Ri thought.

"I'll try to check it while I'm taking care of them." sighed Secretary Shin.

"Thanks, you're the best!"

____

[The next day ]

After leaving their belongings in a sumptuous suite, Gwenval and Kaelan go to explore some floors, accompanied by Shin Ha Ri. The two friends rediscovered the restaurant-bar, on the top floor, from where one could admire an incredible view of the city. On three levels in a row, there was a gym, a spa and an area with pools and jacuzzis.

"We were so focused on the action plan to capture Park Dae Jung that we didn't have time to see everything. It's amazing !" Kaelan exclaimed.

"It's a four-star hotel for a reason." Gwenval added.

"Is there anything in particular that has caught your eye? Don't hesitate to ask me if you want anything." Shin Ha Ri remind them.

" The swimming pool !" Kaelan replied without hesitation.

Gwenval smiled and agreed to go.

For Secretary Shin, if the musician had agreed to go, it meant that Ashlay's assumption was probably wrong. But he was surprise to see Gwenval wearing a swim shirt a few minutes later.

"Monsieur Altaha, why are you wearing a shirt?

"Although it's completely closed up, there's still a trace of the cut Park Dae Jung made on me. I don't want to leave it visible. Even if you insist on protecting your customers' privacy, you're never really safe from a photo taken by a paparazzi.

"You are right." Agreed Secretary Shin.

Gwenval adroitly lifted his top to show the secretary the scar. Indeed, it was still quite visible.

"Are you going to stand there and watch us have fun and relax all day, Secretary Shin? Join us!"

Kaelan stepped between his friend and the secretary.

Shin Ha Ri politely refused. He pretended that it wouldn't be right to join in. The painter disagreed and dragged the secretary to the changing rooms to get him a swimsuit. After a few moments, a pair of blue and white striped shorts had replaced Ha Ri's suit. The latter was completely red and staring at the floor.

Gwenval looked at him up and down and smiled.

"Secretary Shin looks like he's going to the gym."

"Underneath that well-mannered exterior, aren't you a brilliant seducer, Mr. Secretary?" Asked Kaelan with a mischievous look.

The concerned shook his head quickly and said he shouldn't be so close to the two artists and tried to flee. Not surprisingly, he was stopped.

"Kaelan and I will feel much more comfortable knowing you're enjoying the moment with us instead of standing there like a mannequin, watching us." Said the musician gently.

The secretary finally agreed and followed the artists to the deck chairs near the edge of the central pool. Inwardly, he felt it was an incredible opportunity to spend time with them.

_____

Two hours later, as Ashlay was leaving a meeting, he took out his phone to send a message to Ha Ri. While waiting for a reply, he consulted Gwenval and Kaelan's social medias.

The painter had shared four new photos. One with the painter alone, another with Gwenval (which Ashlay promptly saved in his gallery), a third one with the two artists posing and a final one with the artists and Shin Ha Ri smiling. Ashlay couldn't believe his eyes. He'd rarely seen his secretary smile like that since they'd started working together.

"At least he's having fun." Remarked the young man, a little enviously.

Ashlay then spent a good while admiring the musician's photo. As the Lycra T-shirt clung to his chest, all his muscular features were well highlighted. The picture was completed by wet hair and a dazzling smile. Ashlay wanted nothing more than to stop working and join them.

____

Once out of the pool, Kaelan and Gwenval headed for the spa.

"It's been a long time since I've had a massage." Express Kaelan.

" Me too."

"Of course! A massage! It's the best way to see if he has a tattoo without looking suspicious. I can even ask the masseurs to verify for me !" Realized Secretary Shin.

While the artists consulted the various packages offered by the spa, Shin Ha Ri was called away by the staff. When he returned, he found that Gwenval and Kaelan had started their session. With nothing to do but wait, he decided to try out one of the new massage chairs they had received last week. He ended up falling asleep.

"... Secretary Shin... Secretary Shin... Wake up..."

The latter suddenly woke up, almost dropping his glasses. He saw the artists looking at him with childish smiles. The young man quickly sat up and adjusted his outfit.

"I understand that it's not easy to keep a hotel running smoothly, but you mustn't neglect your sleep or your health." Declared Kaelan.

"Ye...Yes, it's true...I hope you enjoyed your session." Ha Ri continued, embarrassed.

"It was excellent!" Replied Kaelan, stretching.

"Kae and I are going to change before we go to eat."

"Understood. I'll join you directly in your suite. I've got something to do first."

The artist friends nodded and left for their rooms, while Ha Ri went to the room where they'd been massaged to talk to their masseurs. To his dismay, the secretary was informed that the musician and painter had had a session... in the dark.

"Is this a challenge?"

_____

Ashlay, back in his office, consulted his phone once more and noticed a new photo posted by Kaelan. It showed Gwenval and the painter on either side of the picture, with secretary Shin, asleep on the massage chair, in the middle.

"Is he on vacation or working?" Commented Ashlay loudly.

Shortly afterwards, Ashlay lost himself again in Gwenval's eyes on the photo.

____

Returning to the artists' room, Shin Ha Ri was greeted by Kaelan, who was waiting for Gwenval to finish getting ready. No sooner had he entered than he came upon the musician, bare-chested. And on is back... nothing. In a way, Shin Ha Ri felt reassured, but he was also a disappointed.

"Secretary Shin ?"

Gwenval called out to Ha Ri, who had been watching him intensely for some time.

"Is something wrong?" Questioned the musician.

"No...No, there isn't. I'll let you get dressed."

Shin Ha Ri looked away and observed another part of the room.

"You don't happen to have a soft spot for Gwen too, do you?" Teased Kaelan.

The secretary's face flushed and he rapidly shook his head.

"It's nothing like that. It would be a lie to say that I don't have a great admiration for you two, but there's nothing else. I was just impressed. Besides, I have neither the desire nor the courage to be mister Nienrao's love rival."

The secretary shivered at the thought.

"Gwen, it seems that Nienrao is determined to have your favor."

"Stop bothering the boy, Kae."

Kaelan was enjoying the situation and loved teasing Secretary Shin. He asked him to call him “hyung”, but Shin repeatedly refused. Gwenval saved the young man by calming his friend and advised the painter to finish preparing himself.

_____

Later that day, Ashlay received a message from his secretary telling him that the musician had no marks. He had also sent him a photo of the musician eating.

Ashlay melted on the spot when he saw the photo. Even if he hadn't been able to be at his beloved musician's side, he was somehow satisfied.

With nothing left to do, Ashlay thought he could join the two artists, but he was invited to dinner by his mother at the last minute.

Before leaving the Turquoise, he sent a message to Gwenval:

"I hope you had a good day, Gwen Gwen. I've booked the restaurant for our dinner. I'll call you later to discuss it."

When Gwenval received the message, he smiled without realizing it. Kaelan tried to understand why he was smiling so much, but the musician put his phone away and pretended it wasn't important.

____

Around eight o'clock, Shin Ha Ri took his leave and the two friends had finished their activities. Gwenval returned to the suite, while Kaelan went to the restaurant to sketch the Seoul night-scape.

"Good evening, Mr Monroe, it's been a while since I've seen you. How are you?" Asked a cold voice.

Instinctively, Kaelan turned around and stood up. He stepped back slightly as he saw who was in front of him.

"What is he doing here?" He thought, annoyed.

The painter was clearly not comfortable and wanted to leave, but the man in front of him was determined to have a conversation with him and came closer.

"Monroe, I've been looking for you."

Another man arrived and bowed slightly in greeting, then turned to the painter.

"Let's go." He announced with a smile.

"Bai ?"