Solo For Two

“Really… you scared him?”“Yeah, thinking back, I might have overdone it.”“…Really?”“Yes.”Seeing Sasha looking so serious, Karel didn’t press further. If Sasha knew that his angry face only excited perverts like Goudin, he would be disheartened.Karel sighed quietly.“Anyway, holding hands like this…”As he spoke, Karel interlaced his fingers with Sasha’s.“…or light hugs, cheek kisses… I don’t like any of it.”He touched Sasha’s lips gently as he spoke. The sound of Goudin pressing Sasha against the wall and stealing a kiss still echoed in his ears. Sasha, feeling guilty, seemed about to cry again.Then, suddenly, Sasha lifted himself and kissed Karel, as if trying to erase the memory of that forced kiss.So Karel decided not to dwell on the trivial past. He was content with the simple fact that Sasha was still by his side and hadn’t chosen anyone else.“How much did you give that debtor? Did you hand over all the pocket money I gave you?”“No…”The money Sasha had spent frivolously would have covered part of the down payment for their current house. Karel didn’t mind Sasha spending on himself, but he couldn’t stand the thought of it going into a scammer’s pocket.“Can we get it back?”Sasha asked, lacking confidence. The documents he had seen seemed legitimate, and he couldn’t distinguish between truth and lies. His English was still poor, and even reading newspaper headlines was a challenge for Sasha.“Since I’ve already signed the documents… they said I’d lose if I took it to court.”“Probably.”Without understanding the details, it might be difficult to reclaim the money if the scammer insisted Sasha had agreed to the debt repayment.Karel stroked Sasha’s cheek and smiled faintly.“Do we have to use legal methods…?”“Karel.”Sasha, sensing a hint of fear, swallowed nervously. Karel patted Sasha’s chest reassuringly.“Don’t worry. I just want to get a little revenge on the scammer who tried to disrupt our peaceful home.”“…What kind of revenge?”Sasha, who hated the scammer but didn’t want any bloodshed, asked anxiously. Understanding Sasha’s concerns, Karel kissed his forehead gently. Sasha’s eyelashes tickled Karel’s chin as he closed his eyes.I’ll make them pay for the pain they caused you.＊ ＊ ＊Two weeks later, a familiar middle-aged man visited their home. It was the scammer who had deceived Sasha.At that moment, Karel was out. Sasha, though initially flustered, invited him in. However, the man quickly said there was no need to pay off the remaining debt and tried to leave. Curious and confused, Sasha grabbed him, asking how this came about. The man, looking as if someone was chasing him, anxiously replied,“Let go of me! If I explain, you’ll understand!”“What, what do you mean?”Feeling suddenly humiliated, Sasha grew angry.You haven’t even explained yet. I might understand if you did.“I must be crazy to come here because he told me to explain directly to you… You don’t need to pay the debt!”“Then explain why that is…”“You didn’t even understand how you got into debt!”The scammer admitted that Sasha was easy to deceive. Sasha, stunned, held onto him, but he forcefully shook off Sasha’s grip, handed him a few documents, and fled.“Who was that?”Levin, wiping her hands on her apron, asked as she emerged from the kitchen, drawn by the commotion at the entrance. Sasha shook his head.“I don’t really know, and I don’t think we’ll see him again.”Sasha, unwilling to fully accept that he had been scammed, felt his denial crumble with the scammer’s confession.Trying to recall the scammer’s smooth talk that initially deceived him, Sasha found it hard to distinguish lies from partial truths. Suddenly, the world felt scary. He realized that, even at his age, the only thing he truly knew was dancing.‘How am I supposed to navigate this harsh world?’For a moment, Sasha’s heart darkened with worry.‘At least I have Karel.’Karel had always been constant. He never chastised Sasha for his poor table manners or lack of political and economic knowledge. Karel didn’t force Sasha to learn things he deemed common sense. Only Julian teased Sasha about avoiding books and newspapers.Karel believed that no one needed to know everything and that partners should fill in each other’s gaps.‘What can I provide for Karel?’Sasha sank into the sofa in the living room, missing Karel, who was briefly out. He was both relieved and scared, knowing Karel had likely sorted everything out cleanly. Sasha waited anxiously for Karel to return, grateful to be living with him, yet fearful of what he might have done.Karel returned home before dinner.From the moment Sasha saw Karel walking through the tree-lined street, he stood by the door. Soon, he heard the sound of footsteps climbing the stairs, followed by the door opening.As soon as Sasha welcomed Karel, he embraced him deeply. Karel, carrying a light breeze with him, smelled not of revenge but of a refreshing, slightly bitter oud scent. Sasha suddenly realized that no matter what Karel did or how he did it, he would always trust him.Karel’s stiff coat brushed against Sasha’s cheek. His embrace felt custom-made for Sasha, fitting perfectly. Even with Sasha’s full weight leaning into him, Karel stood firm, his strong legs and arms encircling Sasha’s back.“Sasha.”Karel gently kissed the top of Sasha’s head, then lightly shook the documents in his hand.“You don’t have to worry about losing the house anymore.”“Karel.”“And… what if we lost it? We can always buy another. I’ll gift it to you as many times as you want.”It wasn’t about the money. Sasha didn’t want to lose a gift from Karel due to his own foolishness.Karel never hesitated to give Sasha anything. Sasha thought that it was his responsibility to cherish and treasure whatever Karel gave him.“No, I want to keep everything you give me. I don’t want anyone else to take it.”Karel chuckled softly. Sasha reached out, pulling Karel’s neck down. Helplessly drawn in, Karel received Sasha’s kiss.“Karel, let’s…”Sasha whispered secretively into Karel’s ear. ‘Shall we really get married?’He suggested they share their deepest thoughts first, become each other’s pillars of support, exchange rings, and call each other husband. This time, he wanted to have witnesses and make it official. Karel’s eyes sparkled with deep laughter at the endearing proposal.It was a lovely proposal.With utmost joy, Karel lifted Sasha into his arms.