DFR - 10

As soon as Cha-eon was discharged from the hospital, she went to the neighborhood where the hair salon was located.

She had received a call from the salon. It was news that Ae-ran had contacted them.

“Yeong-rim unnie.”

“Oh, Cha-eon-ah. You’ve been doing well? You should call me, you brat.”

“I’ve been busy with school and job hunting.”

She had been busy for other reasons lately, but this was the most reasonable and appropriate explanation for now.

“But what do you mean Ae-ran unnie contacted you?”

“Ae-ran moved.”

“What? Where?”

“I don’t know where. She said she wouldn’t tell anyone. She left all her belongings behind. She didn’t say it, but I have a feeling she’s going abroad. She had her passport with her. She’s been saving money like crazy for her siblings. From what I can tell, she’s going to use that money to go abroad. She made a good choice. Why bother with siblings who are just a burden and don’t help? Her own life is miserable enough. Oh, and she told me to give you this.”

It was a small paper box. A box with a luxury brand logo.

“Even though they were sisters, she still took care of you a lot, huh?”

Cha-eon hurriedly opened the box. There was a scarf inside.

There was only a scarf, without any notes or postcards, but Cha-eon knew what Ae-ran wanted to say. When was it?

“Wow, that’s a pretty scarf.”

“Right? I want to give it to you, but a customer bought it for me, so I can’t give it to you because of the impure intentions.”

“No, no. Why would you give this to me? It’s a gift you received, unnie.”

“Isn’t it pretty? Does it suit me?”

Ae-ran had wrapped the scarf around her neck several times, waiting for winter even in summer.

She particularly liked that scarf.

The scarf in the box had a new tag attached. She must have been thinking about how she said the scarf was pretty.

“If I’m here, you’ll come back here. You’ll try to save me and get your feet wet in this filth again. You’re that kind of person.”

Those were the words Ae-ran said to her when she forcibly dragged her out of her room and said she was moving.

“Hey, why are you crying? What’s wrong?”

Cha-eon smiled through her tears, wearing the scarf Ae-ran gave her.

“It’s better this way. I was always heartbroken that she was held back by her siblings. It’s better this way. If she stays here, her brother will come looking for her again. How long is she going to live like this?”

“Yeah, that’s what I think too. But why are you crying?”

“Because I’m happy.”

And because she was sorry.

“Don’t go down this road like me. Meet someone who cherishes you, fall in love, and live like that.”

Because she was sorry.

“Ae-ran will come back. She only has us as friends.”

Cha-eon nodded. Even if she didn’t, it didn’t matter. No, she hoped she would forget all the memories here and live happily. She hoped Ae-ran would find her happiness, forgetting about herself and the people who hurt her.

▷

Cha-eon stared at the box containing the scarf and headed to Si-baek’s room.

Today was the day he was being discharged from the hospital. They were going to have lunch together with Kwon-seok and Jong-seop.

Come to think of it, they had always been guarding her, traveling with her, and, in a way, they had gone through thick and thin together, but it seemed like this was the first time they were having a meal together.

Kwon-seok said he had an important meeting with the chairman and would come straight to the lunch, but she asked if she could go to the hospital to visit Si-baek. For some reason, Geon-ju allowed her to do as she pleased.

Walking with Geon-ju towards the VIP ward, Cha-eon knocked on the door of the room.

But she heard a familiar sound. When she opened the door without realizing it, she found Jong-seop and a strange woman in the middle of having sex.

“Aah, ah, oppa, ah!”

“Does oppa’s dick taste good in your mouth? Your pussy is so fucking delicious.”

“Me too, oppa! Aah!”

“Ah, fuck. Is this why they say it’s so delicious?”

As Kwon-seok had told her, Jong-seop was thrusting his dark, shiny cock into the woman, grabbing and shaking her breasts. The position, with her breasts grabbed and her lower hole exposed, was so lewd that it was hard to watch. Did she and Kwon-seok do it like this?

“Pretty, can you close the door? If you want to watch, come on in.”

Cha-eon froze and turned around. Then she met eyes with Geon-ju, who was standing in front of the door. Unlike her, who was flustered and shaken, his dry eyes were simply dull.

“When are you going to grow up? Hurry up and finish. The boss said he’s coming here.”

“Oh? Yeah, yeah, I’m going to cum, get ready.”

Cha-eon passed Geon-ju, opened the door, and walked out.

Si-baek, who had already changed into neat clothes, was sitting outside the room, making a phone call.

They were supposed to meet at the agreed-upon place, but Kwon-seok had finished his work early and was coming straight to the hospital. At the sudden news, the men standing around straightened their clothes.

And soon, Kwon-seok arrived. Jong-seop, who came out looking neat, as if he hadn’t just had sex, bowed his head. He met eyes with Jong-seop. He smiled brightly.

Was he crazy? She had heard from Kwon-seok that he wasn’t right in the head.

“Why is our kid like this? Did you watch porn without me knowing? Why is your face so red?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

He nodded lightly to Si-baek, who bowed his head in greeting, and then turned his attention to Jong-seop. Cha-eon unconsciously swallowed.

“You want to eat right after fucking?”

“Boss, I didn’t expect you to come here... I’m sorry.”

“Keep your dick under control. You don’t want to be holding your dick and crying in front of the guys, do you?”

“Yes, boss.”

“Go quickly.”

How did he know? Curious, she blinked and approached him, who was gesturing for her to come closer.

“How did you know?”

“What are you two whispering about? They can all hear you.”

“Ah...”

Cha-eon couldn’t even look at Jong-seop and grabbed Kwon-seok’s arm tightly. Kwon-seok’s gaze immediately shifted to her arm.

“Why are you acting like this today? What did Kim Jong-seop show you? Did that unnie tell you to be nice too?”

“No, no.”

“What do you mean, no?”

His face, smiling faintly, seemed particularly cheerful today. Or maybe she was feeling good, so he seemed to be in a good mood too.

The meal was more enjoyable than she expected.

She had thought it would be a heavy meal with only gangsters, but laughter occasionally erupted. Maybe it was because she was more comfortable with almost everyone she knew.

“Shouldn’t our Si-baek be eating something like porridge?”

“No, boss.”

Kwon-seok asked, pouring alcohol into Si-baek’s glass.

“Are you putting on a show in front of the kids? Who here needs to put on a show?”

“I ate a lot of porridge at the hospital.”

“I’m not telling you to drink it.”

At the words not to drink, Si-baek, who had picked up his glass, immediately put it down.

“Boss, I’ll drink it.”

Jong-seop took the glass and drank it without saying a word. Cha-eon revealed her dimples without making a sound.

“If you show that off in front of our kid again, I’ll peel off all the skin on your dick.”

“Boss, I’ve already been circumcised... Yes, boss.”

Cha-eon, who was drinking water while chuckling, met eyes with Kwon-seok. Embarrassed, she unconsciously stopped smiling.

“Why aren’t you eating?”

“I ate a lot.”

“Bullshit. You have a small appetite. That’s a problem.”

Cha-eon picked up the glass of alcohol that was passed to her. Alcohol. She wondered if she would ever be able to drink it again.

Honestly, she still didn’t know. She didn’t know if drinking this would make her forget about Su-ji.

Cha-eon, who was staring at the glass, met eyes with Kwon-seok, who was looking down at her.

“But shouldn’t our sister-in-law go to school?”

Then, at Jong-seop’s question, Cha-eon turned her head.

“Ah, I have to go. I’m planning to go back tomorrow. I don’t know if I’ll have to take another forced leave. They’ll have to mark my attendance.”

“Who do we need to take care of? The professor?”

“No, no. I’ll get expelled then.”

Jong-seop asked seriously, making her sweat. He really looked like he was going to go to school and beat up a professor.

Kwon-seok took the glass of alcohol in front of her and emptied it.

Cha-eon stared up at Kwon-seok, who was fine even after downing the bitter alcohol, and then suddenly looked down at the table. The man’s hand. His unusually large and mature hand. His soft hand despite his rough work...

Cha-eon, who was staring blankly at Kwon-seok’s hand, turned her head when he tapped the table with his finger.

“You’re doing it again.”

He said softly.

“Pardon?”

“I’m not going to beat you for holding my hand, so stop staring. If you want, just hold it.”

“No, I wasn’t.”

“There are more than a few witnesses here.”

Only then did Cha-eon realize that all his subordinates sitting across from her were looking at her. She felt like her face was turning red. Embarrassed, Si-baek, who had been staring at her, looked down and picked up his glass.

“One glass is fine.”

Kwon-seok’s gaze turned to Si-baek. He silently filled Si-baek’s glass.

“Well, let’s drink, and then let’s work hard until this project is over, because we’ll be busy for a while.”

“Yes, boss!”

Loud voices swore allegiance to him.

She, stuck in between them, was just a small dot. A dot that left a mark and was engraved on the man. Maybe, a long time ago, the old woman at the gukbap restaurant was right. It was a fate she couldn’t live an ordinary life with.

But she thought it might be okay. Since it was an unavoidable fate for her, she thought it might be nice to be by this man’s side.

Cha-eon held the gift from Ae-ran tightly in the car heading home.

The metropolis, already dark. She lived in it, and maybe it was an unavoidable fate that she was born here and lived here.

The man sitting next to her was silently looking down at the documents.

Cha-eon reached out to his hand resting on the seat. When she grabbed it tightly like a child, his eyes immediately turned to her.

“I’m trying to understand my sister. She must have had pain that someone like me can’t understand. I was immature, and she always tried to protect me. How could I, who was immature, even guess her pain? It doesn’t make sense to say we were in pain together. She was the one who was in pain.”

She opened up for the first time. She was trying to let go of the self-blame and guilt that she had been clinging to like lingering feelings. Because she had to start.

“Yeah.”

As always, his answer was a curt one, but it was sincere.

He was a man who didn’t say a word he didn’t mean, so she just wanted to hear his answer.

“I have one question. If you were going to take me to your house anyway, why didn’t you let me move out of my studio apartment? It’s a waste of money to pay monthly rent. And I don’t have that many free periods.”

“I’ll make sure you don’t waste money, so don’t worry.”

“Pardon?”

“Well, you can think of it as a motel I use occasionally. Sometimes, it might not be bad to do it in such a shabby room. Think of it however you like.”

Cha-eon was taken aback by the unexpected answer.

“That place has bad soundproofing, so no.”

“Really? That’s great. Wait for me after class tomorrow. It’ll be even better if you stretch yourself out with your fingers so I can fuck you right away. I need to fuck and go quickly, so this works out well.”

“...No, I don’t want to!”

“You don’t want to?”

She knew he would do it even more if she said no. As always, her best option was to gently appease him.

“No, I do. It’s just... maybe we could go somewhere else...”

“Did you hear that? Our kid wants to. Turn the car around.”

At his command, the man in the driver’s seat turned the steering wheel.

The car turned back and headed towards the school.

Epilogue. Summer

Summer returned, and Cha-eon had just finished her three-month probationary period as a bank teller and was officially a full-time employee. Only her title had changed; she was still busy and struggling to adapt.

She liked this job. Since her university days, she had focused on studying for the TOEIC and obtained as many necessary certifications as possible while working part-time, which greatly helped her pass the exam.

Nevertheless, she was still learning, trying to absorb as much as possible while being mindful of her seniors and the branch manager. That’s how she felt, at least.

The mornings were mostly filled with older customers, while the afternoons were filled with office workers, but there was no real difference in how busy she was. If there was any time to catch her breath, it was the time leading up to lunch.

It was just five minutes before lunchtime, and she was starting to feel a little drowsy.

“Customer number 69.”

The person who appeared holding a number ticket, of all things, was...

“Hello. How can I help...”

“Yes. Hello, Jung Cha-eon, employee. Ah, teller.”

It was that man, appearing as if he could buy the entire bank.

Cha-eon unconsciously looked around. Department Head Kim was on the phone, Deputy Lee was consulting with a customer, and Section Chief Kim was talking to the director. Looking behind her, she saw that the branch manager wasn’t at his desk, having gone into the VIP room.

“H-how did you get here?”

“Did you think I came to the bank to see you?”

“Ah, what brings you here...”

“I’m a little short on funds these days, so I was thinking of getting a loan and buying a house. If there’s any left, I’ll buy your favorite car. If there’s more, I’ll buy our kid some snacks.”

It was nonsense. He had come to see her. Cha-eon whispered with a tearful face.

“You need to go to the loan counter for loans...”

“Then make me a credit card. I need to build up my performance and get an incentive.”

“A card...”

Cha-eon nervously glanced at the department head, who was looking over at them while talking, and rolled her eyes.

“...Director.”

She called him with a tearful voice. She had begged him to let her keep her job.

He chuckled quietly as she teared up. He was teasing her again.

“Let’s eat with the loan money.”

▷

“Ugh, hmm, uh.”

Cha-eon moaned, receiving the man’s cock thrusting into her from behind.

She offered her vagina to the man, lifting her hips, and enjoyed the pleasure. With that simple and overwhelming repetition, Cha-eon eventually leaked a little vaginal fluid.

“Haa...”

Of course, he didn’t stop.

She should have gotten used to doing this in the car, but she couldn’t adapt.

She had told them she was going to the hospital for a moment, but she wondered if she would be able to get back on time.

“Let’s, hiss, have lunch.”

“Yeah, your hole is eating well. I’ll give you plenty to eat, so you can eat well and go back.”

Cha-eon could only cover her lower body with her skirt after he finished ejaculating inside her.

Seeing him with her flushed cheeks, he flicked her forehead.

“What are you looking at with your red face?”

“Who made me like this...”

“Keep eating well until work is over. I’ll check. Answer.”

“I’ll pass.”

She answered, but glanced at him nervously.

“You’re being cautious.”

“...You.”

“You? Why are you saying things you can’t handle? Are you just rebelling first, or what?”

“It’s because you’re making too many unreasonable demands.”

“You’re perfectly fine right now. All your limbs are still attached, and your eyes are in place.”

“...Just because my limbs are fine doesn’t mean it’s not unreasonable. I might be a little late today. I’m busy these days.”

“Yeah, you seem busy. A man named Kim Sung-hwan seems to be treating you well? Holding your hand once in a while?”

“Ah, Deputy Kim. He, he has a girlfriend. Hand? Ah, that was when we were moving things, our hands just touched...”

“But you’re stuttering.”

He was looking at her suspiciously, pointing out that she was stuttering.

“You don’t have to misunderstand. He’s getting married within the year. Even wedding invitations...”

“So what? There are plenty of guys who have office wives.”

“Office wives?”

“Wedding invitations, wives, they have a separate fucking partner at work. They’re fucking while you’re eating. Just like you are now.”

“What? No way.”

“Our kid is so innocent. All the guys who came to the neighborhood you used to live in were like that.”

“That’s ridiculous. I don’t do that.”

Cha-eon shook her head, her face flushed, and even waved her hands in denial.

“Of course not. How could you even say that, Teller Jung Cha-eon?”

“It’s because you’re suspecting me, that’s why I said it. I would never have something like that. I can’t separate my body and heart.”

Cha-eon, who had momentarily raised her voice, took a sharp breath. Those words were also a confession that she had given him her heart along with her body.

He looked at her, a faint smile playing on his lips, neither smiling broadly nor bursting into laughter. That faint, thin smile made her even more flustered.

“I know. That’s why your head and neck are still properly attached like this.”

Cha-eon’s chest boiled. He was teasing her again, knowing she was innocent.

“Why, do you want to give me a slap?”

“No thanks! I want to live!”

Cha-eon tucked her still-exposed breasts back into her bra and straightened her skirt. Then she quickly got out of the car.

Kwon-seok chuckled to himself, feeling like he was becoming an immature teenager.

He felt like he was raising a real child, and he didn’t dislike it.

As summer came, Cha-eon’s skin became noticeably fairer, and her expression brighter.

She was more sensitive and delicate than he thought, so he had to handle her with care. Otherwise, she would look at him with hurt eyes and shrink away. However, her body, which knew he wouldn’t do anything to her, was also cunning, teasing him like a fox.

Since he didn’t seem to have much work for a while, Kwon-seok left work early and parked his car where he could see the bank where Cha-eon worked, waiting for a long time.

A small, white face popped out a little after six o’clock. She was busy doing paperwork even after the bank closed at four. She had gained some weight since he had been feeding her well lately.

Her hips were plumper, and her breasts had filled out more. She looked much better.

She spotted the car and approached. Her steps seemed to bounce. Her expression was definitely brighter, even though she wasn’t smiling.

Definitely different from when she was trapped in the red-light district, running through the motel streets in the pouring rain.

He had said he would come at six, so she would think he had just arrived, but he didn’t want to say he had been waiting.

Cha-eon opened the door and entered his space.

<Difference> Fin.

Thank you for reading!