DFR - 5

After confirming that Cha-eon had fallen asleep, Kwon-seok opened the front door of her house and came out.

“Director... nim.”

Ae-ran was coming down the stairs, glancing at him in his disheveled shirt.

Kwon-seok slowly lit a cigarette and nodded towards Ae-ran, who was bowing her head.

“But how did you come here? Did you come to see Cha-eon?”

“Why do you need to know? Do I have to tell you everything?”

“Ah, no. I’m sorry.”

“Just do what you’re told. No, never mind. Don’t even think about doing anything else.”

He walked towards the car, scattering cigarette smoke, and rubbed his neck as if he was annoyed.

“Si-baek, give it to me. Just give it roughly, no need for an envelope.”

The last words were a question to Ae-ran. Her expression, which had been blank, hardened. It was clear from her expression that she had expected something more. Do you think I don’t know you?

Si-baek took out his wallet from his chest and handed him a wad of bills. Kwon-seok casually reached out to Ae-ran.

“My arm’s going to fall off. Take it when I give it to you. And don’t cry later.”

Ae-ran took it with both hands, her face slightly darkened. Kwon-seok disposed of the bills as if throwing them away and got into the back seat.

In all his life, Cha Kwon-seok had never lost his mind and had car sex, even abandoning his car and switching to another one. This was truly crazy.

The car drove out of the alley. Kwon-seok clicked his tongue, watching Ae-ran getting further away.

She couldn’t even do one thing he told her to do properly, forcing him to step in.

He hadn’t intended to, but he didn’t know why his anger suddenly flared up. Uncontrollable impulses were the very emotions that needed to be castrated. Just seeing Jung Cha-eon’s innocent face, who pretended to be smart but actually knew nothing, made him do things that were unlike him.

He hadn’t intended to, but he received a report that Jung Cha-eon had met a short man named Lee Do-won. He couldn’t hide his unpleasant feeling at the picture of them looking at each other with affectionate eyes. So, as soon as he left the conference room, he headed to an unplanned destination.

Si-baek, sensing his mood, asked where he should take him. Even though he had no plans to go to the office at this early hour, he wondered if he had to answer that stupid question. He was annoyed.

“What are you going to do at the office at this hour? Are you going to stay there?”

“No, sir. I’ll take you wherever you want.”

Kwon-seok leaned his head against the seat and closed his eyes. He remembered her crying face, asking him to save Ae-ran. She seemed innocent, but she wasn’t.

“You said you liked my sister. How could you say that?”

He wondered what she was talking about, and it turned out that Na Ae-ran had told a ridiculous lie. Seeing that she fell for that, she seemed very naive.

He needed someone to protect Jung Cha-eon by her side, and Na Ae-ran was the right person. Simply marking her could be done by anyone, but the problem was that it wouldn’t end with just surveillance.

If he left it to the men, there was no way they could take proper care of her, and Jung Cha-eon wouldn’t stay still.

So, he had Na Ae-ran brought in, intending to use her and throw her away.

At first, he just intended to leave it at that. He didn’t need to participate in that play, but that night when he went to deal with Kim Seok-won, he became curious after seeing Cha-eon’s face.

“...I don’t do that kind of thing.”

Her face, which would collapse with a single push, was trembling as she resisted.

He had seen all kinds of people in this industry. He knew that kind of person well. They had nothing, but they endured with their pride, the most troublesome and naive kind of people.

Since she had bothered him like this, he just intended to harass her a few times. He had intended to satisfy his curiosity and stop, but after he tried to find a suitable relationship with Na Ae-ran and play along,

“What’s so special about a motel? I lived in a motel for 10 years. What else do you do in a motel besides fucking?”

She looked like a hamster, puffing up her cheeks unnecessarily.

“By any chance... are you suddenly being nice because of what happened earlier? Are you afraid I’ll say something bad to Ae-ran unnie?”

Her face, asking with a sidelong glance, made him laugh absurdly.

He shouldn’t be having fun when he’s with her. This was an emotion he hadn’t planned for.

Kwon-seok smirked and made eye contact with Si-baek, who was glancing at him through the rearview mirror.

“What?”

“Sir, you’ve been smiling a lot lately.”

“We both have boring lives.”

Otherwise, how could he be swayed by a woman like this? She was quite cute in what she did, but he didn’t need to be swayed this much.

He sent her money to help with her tuition, but she immediately used it to pay off Na Ae-ran’s debt. She was really out of control. As soon as he took his eyes off her, she caused trouble.

While he was briefly working, he received a report that Jung Cha-eon had gone to a room salon run by a loan company. It was a room run by local thugs, not a proper loan company, which meant there were no real systems or rules.

It was common for them to ruthlessly exploit women and then sell their organs if they were no longer needed. They wouldn’t leave pretty girls alone. He frowned at the thought of what they would do to Jung Cha-eon.

He had to put down the pen he was holding and leave the office. She was always bothering him. Why did she go there so recklessly?

“What’s on my schedule for tomorrow morning?”

“There’s an appointment for breakfast with the eldest brother this morning.”

“The eldest brother has such bad taste. Does breakfast even go down the throat with two dark-skinned men?”

“The eldest brother likes you very much, you know.”

“I decline.”

Anyway, Chairman Seong and Jung Cha-eon were people he couldn’t understand.

Even with the numerous reports he had received from his subordinates and Na Ae-ran, there were many things he couldn’t comprehend.

She took care of a baby abandoned by a neighborhood woman, and even though she was in trouble herself, she insisted on protecting Na Ae-ran. She was quick to notice and draw a line with other men who approached her, but she was very lenient with Lee Do-won.

They said they had dated in the past, but it was as if she had decided to be deliberately promiscuous. She was all smiles and accepted everything, even when he openly flirted with her and drank with her in the seat next to her.

That made him feel strangely dirty.

“There are reports that those who wipe Kim Yoon-gi’s ass are constantly marking you, sir. What should we do?”

“Leave them be. Just do as our old man wants for now. He doesn’t like trouble.”

“What if those bastards betray us first?”

“Si-baek.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Do you still not know me that well?”

“I’ll have the men monitor them more closely.”

“Good.”

Cigarettes, cigarettes.

Kwon-seok put a cigarette between his teeth and clicked the lighter, but he couldn’t light it and put it away.

Kwon-seok had no appetite at all. In front of him, Chairman Seong kept using his knife. He finished off the tender lamb coated in red wine sauce piece by piece.

“Why can’t you eat breakfast at all?”

“You know I don’t eat breakfast, so why do you ask?”

“You rude bastard. One meal with this old man and your mouth rots, doesn’t it?”

Chairman Seong glared and picked up his wine glass.

“How is that child doing?”

“I know you get separate reports.”

“I want to hear it from your mouth.”

“She’s doing well. At least, from what I see.”

“Does she resemble Su-ji a lot? In her actions, I mean.”

“I don’t know. I don’t know Jung Su-ji well.”

Chairman Seong nodded as if he understood Kwon-seok’s answer. It was a flawed comparison from the start.

“They say her actions are similar, but her younger sister is different. They said she’s not as tough as her, that she’s kind and soft-hearted. I don’t know if that’s true, but since you don’t have any major complaints, it seems she’s not causing trouble.”

Not causing trouble? Kwon-seok silently scoffed. Who was it that made him chase after her several times in the middle of work?

“So she does things she’s not told to do.”

“What are you talking about?”

“What was his name again? Seok-won? Kim Seok-won? Han Yong-ah. What was his name?”

“Kim Seok-won.”

Chairman Seong’s right-hand man, who was standing behind the table with his hands behind his back, answered immediately.

“You told me to protect her, didn’t you?”

“I told you to protect her, not to kill the guy who was hitting on her. You’re not the kind of guy who does something just because you’re told to, if you don’t want to. You’re not the kind of guy who usually steps in. If you killed him with your own hands, you must be quite concerned.”

“It’s better to avoid any trouble later... If you’re going to talk about such boring things, please talk to Si-baek from now on. I’ll send him right away.”

“You rude bastard. Do you think I don’t know you?”

Chairman Seong wiped his mouth with satisfaction only after putting the last piece of meat in his mouth. He still had the habit of making people stand in front of him until the meal was over.

“Our sister, I’ll give you everything when this old man dies, so don’t be so harsh.”

“Brother.”

“Yoon-gi is just a pacemaker, isn’t he? He’s a speed bump to keep you from speeding. You should be a little more lenient.”

Chairman Seong smiled as he watched Kwon-seok clicking his lighter indifferently.

“By the way, I want to see that child once.”

“......”

“Make some time for me to see her. Why? Do you not want me to see her? Are you afraid this old man will do something foolish again? I know she resembles Su-ji, but I’ve never seen her face properly.”

“I’ll arrange it.”

“Good. I have a golf appointment, so I have to get up first. Si-baek.”

“Yes, eldest brother.”

“You’re going through a lot.”

Chairman Seong, who had patted Si-baek’s shoulder and walked away, suddenly turned back. Kwon-seok, who had stood up and was about to leave, raised his head, stopping his wrist watch adjustment.

“I should give her a gift. I heard she likes flowers. Send her a bouquet that resembles Su-ji. You’re the one with an eye for that.”

And then Chairman Seong coolly exited. It seemed like he was leaving all the troublesome work to me.

“Si-baek.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

“No. If you’re told to do it, you have to do it. Let’s go pick them out.”

If he tells me to clean up, I have to clean up. What else can I do?

Hoo. A deep sigh was my share.

A flower shop was visible through the car window.

About two years ago, I remembered Cha-eon with Jung Su-ji. I didn’t particularly want to see it, but it was a disaster that I had chosen gifts a few times on behalf of Chairman Seong because I had a better eye.

Jung Su-ji, who was working as a hotelier, was the first employee Chairman Seong had ever taken in from his workplace.

Well, as a result, I showed my face a few times at the date between Jung Su-ji and Chairman Seong, and I joined them for a meal once. I even rode with them on the way to take Jung Su-ji home.

It was only a few months that Chairman Seong and Jung Su-ji had been dating.

It was then that Cha-eon was clearly established in my fragmentary memories.

It seemed like it was winter and early in the morning. Cha-eon was standing in an alley full of motels, holding an umbrella.

Jung Su-ji, who got out of the car, ran to her sister, who was waiting for her, and went into the umbrella. Her sister, who didn’t know about her sister’s secret love affair, just thought she had come back from work and smiled.

“I told you not to wait here because it’s dangerous. Why don’t you listen to me? Look at this. Your hands are all frozen.”

Her still young face seemed used to waiting for her sister in the cold. It seemed like it wasn’t the first time she had come to pick up her sister, who was returning from working here and there all night.

Her worried face brightened as soon as she saw Jung Su-ji. I wondered what kind of world she lived in that made her smile so brightly.

There was no such thing as making such an expression in my world.

But that was it. I wasn’t optimistic or friendly to the black-haired beast called human just because it was different from me. I knew better than anyone else who had rolled around in this place that humans were all the same. I didn’t have the time to waste on curiosity, such useless and worthless feelings.

But why am I here doing this now?

Her eyes, which had faded like a lie after Jung Su-ji died, were just a little annoying. That was all.

It seemed like it was from then on that the plan, which I had intended to watch once or twice and stop, gradually went awry.

In a human world where life and death are common, why does she make such a fuss because one of her blood relatives died?

At first, I just intended to tease her a few times and stop. I didn’t intend to step so deeply into Jung Cha-eon’s life. It’s pathetic. I’m wasting time on a woman. But when I look at the little things, her flaring eyes, her growling and rushing body, are quite interesting and keep reminding me of her.

Actually, her eyes, which are still hurting while pretending not to hurt, too.

I know everything, but even if she hides it, I can see it clearly, but her face, which pretends not to be, makes me want to tease her, torment her, and make her cry. When she rushes at me like an angry hamster, not knowing that she could just cut her own throat, I laugh. But I started to get confused whether this was a laugh or a smile. It’s a dangerous sign.

Her eyes, which glared at him with the intention of hitting him when he took off her panties. I haven’t known her for that long, but I seem to see a lot of diverse expressions.

What kind of great thing is she hiding? I had kissed the hole that was tightly closed, saying no, by opening the knees that had been closed as much as possible. Memories of sucking and loving her for a long time as she struggled, fluttering to block me somehow, suddenly tormented him.

Then, when I put my tongue on the leaking pussy water, she shook her hips, telling me not to suck it... There were many times when I pretended not to know because her actions were cute, even though she sometimes grabbed my hair as if she made a mistake. I shouldn’t have been too lenient. I’m spoiling the child.

A sigh escaped from his teeth. It was ridiculous that he was even thinking about a girl who had just turned twenty, not to mention being aroused.

It’s not like a child, this will pass soon.

“Sir.”

“Yes.”

Kwon-seok got out of the car and went into the flower shop.

▷

“Shall we see who it is that’s hitting on our Cha-eon?”

Hee-ahh smiled and turned the bouquet this way and that. Cha-eon looked at the flowers that had flown in front of her indifferently and rubbed her shoulders with her tired hands. I don’t know what spirit I spent my daily life in after that incident with Kwon-seok two days ago. As always, the day passed busily.

The space between my two legs, which had been spread apart, still hurt. My whole body was stiff, as if I had been beaten up. In fact, it was more painful because my memory was clear. I spread my legs and faced outside the car... I showed all kinds of ugly behavior...

“Did it come to Cha-eon? Who sent it?”

“There’s no mention of who it is, just Seong-won hyung on the card.”

“Seong-won hyung? I think I’ve heard that name a lot. Who was it?”

The neatly blooming white flowers were pretty, unlike the old beauty salon. I don’t know the name, but I’ve seen the flowers before. Su-ji, who was returning home from work, once bought them home. I said she had a good eye for choosing flowers, and she bought them several times after that.

She said she bought them, but I knew that such a bouquet would cost at least tens of thousands of won. It seemed suspicious, but I didn’t say anything. Su-ji also told me to date and meet men instead of being dragged down by me and living a shabby life.

“Hey, Cha-eon, what’s wrong with you these days? Why are you keeping your mouth shut like that? Ae-ran is back and everything is fine. You even have a man who likes you and sends you flowers like this.”

“Who is this man?”

Yeong-rim and Hee-ahh kept asking who it was, but I had no idea.

“I don’t know who sent it either. Was it a customer from the shop?”

“The only male customer who comes to our beauty salon is Mr. Choi from the gukbap restaurant. Yeah, right.”

“It could be a woman who sent it, why not?”

“Yeah, it’s good to have no prejudice. But am I the only one who thinks that Seong-won hyung is a man?”

I was too complicated to make a fuss about the pretty bouquet.

“Unnie, I’m just going to...”

I stood up to get some air, but Ae-ran came in through the shop door. She looked much lighter than she did two days ago.

“Cha-eon-ah. Oh, what are these flowers?”

“I don’t know. They came for Cha-eon, but they won’t say who it is.”

“Really?”

Ae-ran, who had been silent for a while, couldn’t take her eyes off the flowers. Then her eyes quickly turned to me. It was clear what she came to the beauty salon for. Just like I had something to ask her.

“Cha-eon-ah, let’s have a cup of coffee.”

Cha-eon followed her without saying a word when she said she wanted to see her face for a moment. She had a look on her face that she had something to say. They didn’t say anything to each other, but they knew what the other had to say.

We left the beauty salon, turned the corner, and entered a cafe where the massage shop wasn’t visible. I just followed Ae-ran silently. I didn’t say anything even though we went around the coffee shop next to the beauty salon.

We sat by the window with a cup of coffee with ice clinking in it. It was one of the few times of the day we could enjoy the sun, as we were always struggling inside the shop.

“Unnie, you know...”

“Cha-eon-ah. I have something to tell you.”

Ae-ran, who didn’t even touch the coffee with melting ice, said calmly. Her voice was monotone, but her lowered eyelashes looked as complicated as my heart.

“Director Moonseong Cha. We don’t have a sponsor relationship. We’re definitely not lovers.”

Ae-ran, who hadn’t shown her face once yesterday, came to see me after two days. Was she worried all day yesterday? I felt that way when I looked at her face.

“Then why... did you do that?”

I was curious why Ae-ran had lied to me like that. I was sure that Ae-ran wouldn’t have done that without a reason. It was also because I trusted her.

“I was supposed to report to him about what’s going on with you, if you’re okay, take care of you, and get paid for it. As you know, I was going to leave this place when I got money. I was going to live a new life with that money. I’m sorry I deceived you. I admit that I tried to make money by using you. I’m sorry.”

I had roughly guessed what it was. But I was more curious about something else.

“Why? Why does that man get such reports, or why is he curious about that? Why does he want to know how I’m doing...”

“I don’t know more than that. Really.”

It was right to go to that man and ask him, not Ae-ran. Knowing that, I urged her without realizing it.

“Really, Cha-eon-ah.”

“I know. I don’t think unnie knows more than that.”

He wasn’t the kind of man who would easily tell anyone the reason. Therefore, Ae-ran’s words were clear.

“I decided to leave this week. Thanks to you, I got paid. The madam is going to give me a loan, and she’s using all kinds of dirty temptations to get me to stay. It was so refreshing. Do you know what the madam said? She told me to sell my kidney.”

I don’t know if I should thank that man or get angry.

Anyway, it was good for Ae-ran... Yeah, if I just think about the conclusion, it was definitely good for Ae-ran. But why? This uneasy feeling.

“I got a job at a cafe across the street. I’m going to work next week. I’ve been working hard to get a barista license.”

“What happened to your brother?”

“I don’t have anything to do with him since we broke up.”

“What if the debtors come back? He’s in debt from gambling. What if he gambles again...”

“Then... damn it. Hey. Do you have to talk about that bastard on a good day? If he comes back, I’ll kill him and leave here.”

I thought she was controlling her temper, but Cha-eon was a little relieved to see Ae-ran’s usual self.

“I’m starting to like that person. Cha-eon-ah. Isn’t it weird? I know. Do I look weird?”

Were those eyes, which were a mess of excitement and sadness, just acting to deceive me? Was that all? But if that was all the story she had with that man, she wouldn’t have had to tell me.

“Unnie, over there... about the director.”

“Of course I don’t have any relationship with the director. Hey, I was so nervous that you’d find out. Shall we get some spicy stir-fried octopus? I suddenly want something spicy.”

Ae-ran grabbed my arm and pulled me up. Cha-eon couldn’t ask anything more. She couldn’t ask.

Strangely, I felt like I shouldn’t ask any more. Was it because of Ae-ran or because of my heart?

Was I afraid to hear Ae-ran’s answer? Why?

Cha-eon followed the endless questions and stopped thinking. And she followed Ae-ran silently.

“But Cha-eon-ah.”

“Yes?”

“What kind of relationship do you have with the director? What kind of relationship is it that he... never mind.”

Ae-ran walked down the street, trying to hide a bitter smile. She was curious too, but she didn’t seem to want to hear any more.

Just like me.

Cha-eon stared at the question-filled bouquet and left the store. Then she walked towards the alley.

I didn’t know exactly, but I was sure that I was definitely involved with that man, Cha Kwon-seok. There was no reason or basis, but I had a gut feeling.

I had no idea what was going on. If I had known it would turn out like this, I would have gotten his number, but I never dreamed of getting involved like this, so I didn’t even ask for his phone number. It would be more accurate to say that I had deliberately avoided him. Either way, I didn’t feel comfortable meeting the man Ae-ran was meeting separately, so I tried to avoid him as if running away.

It seemed like I should ask something rather than being so stupidly ignorant. I should have asked Ae-ran for the number she used to contact him.

I stood there holding my cell phone for a long time when a black sedan approached from the opposite side, flashing its headlights. The car model was different from the sedan the man was riding, but Cha-eon knew.

It was Cha Kwon-seok’s person.

“Oh, sit down.”

The first impression of the man I met for the first time was gentle. I followed him without knowing why, but I had a strange certainty that he wouldn’t harm me. It was clear that he was connected to Kwon-seok. At least if I came here, I thought I could find out why that man, Cha Kwon-seok, did such a thing.

This was the hotel from that night when I had a three-way meeting with Ae-ran. The same floor, the same restaurant. My guess that this gentle-looking man was also related to Cha Kwon-seok turned into a stronger conviction.

Judging from his dignified feeling, he seemed to be old, but the man had a clean and handsome appearance that made it difficult to guess his exact age.

“I’m curious how you know me.”

“You and Su-ji are the same in that you don’t know how to beat around the bush.”

Su-ji? Sister? Cha-eon, who didn’t expect the name, asked the man without touching the appetizer that came out.

“How do you know my sister? Are you the one who sent the flowers...?”

The man, who was skillfully quenching his thirst with wine, smiled. The man also reacted as if her words were unexpected.

“It’s true, but well. I told him to do it, but the choice of flowers came from another person’s taste.”

“What does that mean...”

The food came out right away, as if he had been waiting for me to come for a long time. It was a meat dish with various vegetables that I didn’t even know the name of. It was probably a type of steak, but I didn’t know the exact name of the dish.

“What are you doing? Eat it. It’s not tasty when it’s cold. Everything tastes best when it’s freshly made.”

“...Please tell me. How do you know my sister? Do you know my sister well?”

“Even when she was eating her favorite lamb steak, her face would brighten whenever she got a call from her sister. She would even abandon what she was eating and say she was going home.”

Now I felt like I knew who this man was little by little.

I had a vague guess that my sister had someone she was seeing. After the school year changed, I lived alone in front of the school, so I didn’t know any more, but there were signs before I lived alone.

From some point on, her return home was slightly later than her usual quitting time, and she went out on weekends saying she was meeting friends, but she couldn’t hide her excited face. It was suspicious, but it was still good. It was the first time I had seen such a face on my sister.

On the day of my sister’s funeral, I heard that a mysterious mourner had visited late at night when I was lying in the hospital after fainting.

Men in suits were suspicious at a funeral home where almost only bar girls would come, but I just thought they were employees who worked with my sister, but I didn’t know the details.

Thanks to the mourner who put in a generous amount of condolence money, I was less worried about funeral expenses, but I just thought it was money sent by the company. Thinking about it now, it seemed that the anonymous man who visited at that time was this man.

“...Why did you ask me to come?”

“Her old boyfriend can’t even be jealous, and he takes such good care of you. I was worried after Su-ji passed away. Don’t think of it as difficult. It’s just a place to ask how you’re doing. What are you doing? Eat.”

“...The condolence money that day. Right?”

The man was silent. I thought it was a positive answer.

“Thank you. But...”

“If you’re grateful, you’re grateful. Do you have to have conditions?”

“Oh, I didn’t mean to offend you. I’m just sorry for accepting such a large sum of money...”

Cha-eon eventually closed her mouth without saying anything more.

We ate in silence for a while. Then the man just threw out a word or two, but I couldn’t taste anything I was eating. I had a lot of questions, but they became a mess in my head, and in the end, all that was left was the stereotyped thank you.

“My sister wasn’t the kind of person who would just leave me behind. I think something definitely happened to my sister. Does the chairman know anything?”

Why was my sister found like that that day? Why did she leave a note and leave behind people who loved her so much?

Cha-eon had a lot of questions to ask this man, but she asked what she wanted to hear the most. It seemed that this man would definitely know.

“If there was something like that, you, her younger sister, would have known first.”

With a mysterious smile, the man cut her off, telling her to finish her meal. I didn’t know if he didn’t want to talk or if he really didn’t know, but it was clear that this topic didn’t please the man.

With such clear and precise articulation, Cha-eon was left speechless. It was the voice that followed that made it even more so.

“Chairman.”

“Oh, yes. Tell him to come in.”

As the man standing behind Chairman Seong gave a brief report, Chairman Seong, as if he had been waiting, put down his knife and wiped his hands. Then, he rinsed his mouth with a sip of wine.

The sound of shuffling footsteps, small noises, and the approaching presence. This absurd sense of pressure and the oppressive feeling that seemed to grip a person.

The moment Cha-eon saw the men walking towards the table, he clenched his fist tightly without realizing it. He saw all familiar faces. Si-baek and Jong-seop, and others who had been there that night when Seok-won was killed. And the man standing in the center.

The man he had rolled around with in a mess two nights ago was approaching. With a face so indifferent and dry that the memory of that night seemed distant, he was perfectly dressed in a suit jacket, his hair neatly styled, giving a light bow to Chairman Seong without even a glance.

“You’re late. Sit down.”

When he first received Kwon-seok’s business card with Moonseong’s name on it, he was surprised, but he never imagined any connection with Su-ji. It was true that Su-ji worked at a hotel under Moonseong, but he couldn’t imagine that a mere hotelier would have any contact with a managing director.

With Chairman Seong seated at the head of the table, Kwon-seok sat in the empty seat opposite Cha-eon. Finally, their eyes met. Unlike Cha-eon, who sat stiffly in a half-alert posture, the man leaned back comfortably in his chair and, as if it were a habit, brought the wine glass offered by the butler closer.

“This older brother called our Director Cha, fearing he might starve to death with all his busyness. You two must be acquainted.”

“Yes, thanks to him.”

“You rascal.”

Though he spoke those words, Chairman Seong looked at Kwon-seok fondly. It was clear that he cherished him. So much so that it was vividly felt by others.

“Now, where were we? Yes, when are you planning to return to school?”

“I don’t have any plans yet. But I intend to return before it’s too late.”

“Good. Do you have a boyfriend?”

He wanted to ask why his personal life was of any interest, but surrounded by men who were fiercely guarding Chairman Seong, he didn’t have the courage to say such a thing. Si-baek’s voice, threatening him to behave himself, strangled his throat.

“No.”

“Kwon-seok, why don’t you find a decent guy among the kids for him?”

“Oh, no. I’m fine. Thank you for your concern, but really, I’m fine.”

“If you’re grateful, you should accept the gesture. Kang-sik or Yun-gi might not be as good as you, but they’re quite capable. Aren’t we sauna mates, after all?”

Though the beginning of his words was directed at Cha-eon, at some point, Chairman Seong’s eyes were blatantly fixed on Kwon-seok. At Kwon-seok, who slightly frowned, then at Chairman Seong, who smiled silently and lifted his wine glass. He seemed to find this situation very amusing.

“Or our Chief Choi would be good too.”

At the mention of Chief Choi, Chairman Seong gestured with his chin towards Si-baek. Seeing Kwon-seok’s displeased expression, Chairman Seong openly laughed. Though he was speaking to him, Cha-eon knew that he wasn’t the one Chairman Seong was talking to.

“Si-baek, how about you? You should get married and settle down. How long are you going to keep seeing that older woman?”

“I... I appreciate your concern, Chairman. Thank you for your consideration, but I’m really fine. I’m sorry.”

Cha-eon hurriedly tried to stop Chairman Seong’s matchmaking.

“Really? There are quite a few decent guys, it’s a shame. I’ll introduce you to someone whenever you need. It’ll be helpful to you.”

Chairman Seong picked up the knife he had put down again. He didn’t know who that creeping smile was directed at.

It was strange. Was this really just to ask how he was doing? It was a meeting with an unknown purpose.

Only one thing was clear. Chairman Seong was behind why Kwon-seok was around him. Why he had Ae-ran do that strange thing.

But there were still questions left. He didn’t understand why he had gone to the trouble of doing this instead of just having his subordinates monitor him.

Cha Kwon-seok was a managing director. A top executive. Whether it was gang-related work or legitimate business, he was said to be incredibly good at his job to have reached that position. Why would such a calculating and logical person, a person who should be giving orders from above, bother with such a troublesome thing...?

There was something that couldn’t be explained by mathematical calculations alone. Something, though he didn’t know what, was definitely there.

The car heading home was silent.

It was the first time they had faced each other since that night when they had sex that seemed like someone was going to die. It was strange that being together wasn’t becoming familiar, but he still felt tense whenever he was in a confined space with him. The more he tried not to be conscious of it, the more he confirmed that he was trying to ignore it. Cha-eon cleared his throat, feeling unnecessarily tense, and unbuttoned one of the buttons that were tightly constricting his neck.

“...”

Yesterday morning, as soon as he woke up, he checked if his ankle was properly attached. And he checked his sore, seemingly still open, bottom. Fortunately, apart from some swelling and heat, there didn’t seem to be any injuries. It was clear that they had done it several more times until dawn, but from the moment he fainted, his memory was fragmented and not very accurate.

He glanced at the man sitting next to him and met Si-baek’s eyes in the rearview mirror. Had Si-baek seen and heard everything that night? He probably had. Though he had done nothing wrong, he avoided his gaze. It wasn’t easy to muster courage in this confined space filled with Kwon-seok’s skin scent. Kwon-seok, who had been closing his eyes without looking this way, opened his mouth.

“What is it again?”

Cha-eon, trying to ignore Si-baek’s gaze in the rearview mirror, looked at Kwon-seok. Kwon-seok, who had opened his eyes languidly, was looking at him.

“...You knew me before, didn’t you? I knew it. There’s no way someone like a Moonseong director would be around me. I should have been suspicious from the start. Then why did you do that two days ago? Were you just turned on because I was drunk and had my pants down?”

“What are you mumbling about, kid?”

Kwon-seok asked Si-baek, more of a casual remark than a question.

He knew he had been recognized because of Su-ji, and somehow he had ended up here, but he wondered if he should continue to be involved with this man. He had told Chairman Seong that he didn’t need to take care of him anymore, but all he got in response was a brief reply that he shouldn’t reject his kindness. He was afraid to say more. Who would dare to speak up when they knew who they were dealing with?

However, he knew that a relationship that continued because of Su-ji was by no means normal. Especially one where he was being monitored and people around him were being approached. This kind of relationship was unacceptable.

Cha-eon looked down at the bag in his hand. It was a luxury bag he had only heard of but never owned. And inside was a thick envelope.

“It’s your birthday. Think of it as something Su-ji gave you. I wanted to do at least that much for you, so don’t feel burdened. I didn’t know what to get for someone your age, so I prepared something simple. Just accept it.”

It was a gift from Chairman Seong, but he knew who had chosen it.

He seemed to know Kwon-seok’s taste. He preferred clean and sophisticated designs rather than flashy ones, whether it was flowers or luxury bags. If things continued like this, he would end up carrying bags, wearing clothes, and even changing his shoes to match that man’s taste. Cha-eon gripped the luxury bag, which felt as heavy as a ton.

He didn’t welcome any of this. He especially didn’t want to receive an unwanted luxury bag from his sister’s boyfriend.

“I’ll keep a close eye on her, so don’t worry.”

So that was why he had Ae-ran watch him.

This kind of relationship was definitely strange. It was clear that it wasn’t normal.

“...If you’re concerned about me because of my sister, you don’t have to do that anymore. I can take care of my own business. So you don’t have to bother anymore. I don’t want any more...”

It was then that the man’s handsome eyebrows, which had been calmly watching, furrowed.

“Bother?”

“Like having Ae-ran do things she doesn’t want to... spying on me, and things like that...”

“So what did you lose?”

“Excuse me?”

“I paid off the debt of the woman you’re protecting, stopped her from selling her body, and let you do your charity work for your favorite underprivileged neighbors to your heart’s content, didn’t I?”

Cha-eon froze at Kwon-seok’s cold, icy words. He wanted to retort that he didn’t need his help, that it was unnecessary meddling, but he couldn’t.

Because it wasn’t wrong. He spoke like an asshole, but annoyingly, everything he said was undeniable.

If it hadn’t been for the man’s help, Ae-ran and he might have been in an even worse mess by now. Deeper in this miserable fate. It was true that he had only done charity work that didn’t benefit him at all.

The car entered an alleyway.

“Still, you didn’t have to say it like that... I mean, you don’t have to bother anymore. You don’t have to watch me like you’re monitoring me because of my sister, you don’t have to help me anymore... you don’t have to come looking for me like you’re doing charity work anymore. I appreciate the help, but not like this anymore...”

He left the bag and quickly got out of the car, closing the door. Without looking back, he went into the villa entrance. Even then, he couldn’t open the front door and stood staring at it for a long time.

He didn’t have the courage to say in front of Chairman Seong that he couldn’t accept the gift. So he cowardly left it behind. He felt that Cha Kwon-seok, that man, would understand what it meant.

He didn’t know where or how things had gone wrong. It was far from normal.

The alley was quiet, perhaps he had left. Only after a long time did Cha-eon enter the password on the keypad. The moment the door opened, his mouth was blocked from behind.

“Ugh, uh!”

The more he struggled, the more distant his vision became. It was an unfamiliar scent.

The unpleasant and eerie feeling of arms wrapped around his neck and pulling him back.

His eyelids were heavy. His head felt like it was buried in the ground, no matter how much he struggled, his body wouldn’t move.

Black suits, several legs moving in front of him, and when he blinked, tears filled his eyes and fell. His cheek hurt. It seemed he had been hit in the face while he was unconscious. A sour, fishy smell came from his split lip.

Foolishly, even in that moment, he looked down between his legs. Pink panties were visible through the raised hem of his skirt. Fortunately, there were no signs of soreness or being touched there.

Is it okay to get hit in the face but not between the legs? A self-deprecating sigh escaped him. It was also a sigh of relief.

“Hey, she’s awake.”

The man’s face, getting closer and closer, became clearer.

Where had he seen him before? He seemed familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it. A man with distinct lip lines and a scratch in the middle of his eyebrow.

“You’re awake? I was worried you were dead.”

He was so worried. If he had been, he wouldn’t have hit him like this.

He felt like he had just spoken too much like Cha Kwon-seok. Had he been influenced by him during the short time they were together? Cha-eon frowned, stopping himself from opening his mouth.

Even if he wanted to speak, his jaw hurt more the more he opened his mouth. His eyelids hurt so much, he wondered if he had been slapped on the cheeks too.

The tears that fell automatically seemed to be due to the impact on his eyes from the beating. When he blinked his stinging eyes, the man who had been staring down at him gestured with his chin.

“Hey, help her up.”

One of the men raised Cha-eon’s waist and lifted his upper body. In his now clear vision, there were quite a few men. It was a warehouse with blocked windows. Judging from the unfamiliar place, it seemed he had been taken out of his neighborhood.

His whole face hurt. He knew that what was flowing between his teeth wasn’t saliva but blood. He had been beaten many times. He had been hit when he resisted men who mistook him for a prostitute and tried to drag him away, he had been hit by Seok-won, and he had been hit again when he bit the arm of a man who was bothering Su-ji.

But he had never been in so much pain. He couldn’t tell if the pain was in his heart or his body. He was actually scared. Very scared.

“Kim Seok-won, a familiar name, right? Who’s the bastard who killed him?”

Kim Seok-won. He had forgotten, but the name that suddenly came to mind made him involuntarily lift his chin.

“...I don’t know. Why are you looking for him from me?”

“Kim Seok-won was your gigolo, so who else should we ask?”

“We weren’t like that.”

“Bullshit. How many people saw that bastard going in and out of your house? They said Kim Seok-won said he was going to you the night he disappeared. There are witnesses. Fuck.”

“He did come, but I said I didn’t want him, and he unilaterally... we weren’t like that.”

“Then what’s this?”

The man snatched and brought over a suit jacket. And a handkerchief. Cha Kwon-seok’s, that man’s belongings that were in his house.

“It’s obviously men’s clothes, why do you have this? And what did he say?”

“It’s a fucking expensive brand, boss.”

“How many traces of men are between your legs that you’re lying like that, you bitch? If you’re going to talk shit when you live in a brothel, you should at least tell a story that’s believable. Did the guy you’re meeting stab Kim Seok-won? Did you two go crazy and kill Seok-won together?!”

It was clear that they were from the local gang that Kim Seok-won belonged to.

The men gasped as they saw the traces of Kwon-seok thickly engraved between his legs. What should he do?

He had no idea what to do, and his head was splitting. The men, who were trying on Kwon-seok’s suit jacket and giggling, stood crookedly and looked down at him.

“Hey, grab that bitch.”

The man approached with an axe he had placed on a chair. He was trying to cut off an arm or something.

“How would I know something I don’t know just because you do that?”

“No, maybe it’ll change if we cut off an arm or something. Humans remember when they get hit, you know.”

He knew the men’s tendency to rush in more if he screamed for them to spare him. So he retorted calmly. But he was still scared. He actually wanted to beg on his knees.

Even when he tried to pull his arm away, the man didn’t budge. He sensed that they wouldn’t even listen if he begged for his life. This was different from Cha Kwon-seok, who would pull him into his arms and tell him it hurt even while threatening to cut off his ankles.

“Hey, wait a minute, I heard you’re really good at moving your hips. It’s quite the rumor?”

“...You crazy bastard.”

“That bitch has great tits, fuck. Hey, strip her. If Kim Seok-won was going to fuck her, she’s guaranteed to be good.”

“Let go of me! You crazy bastards!”

“What’s so great about holding your head up high? I want to see that bitch crawling on the ground. I’m curious what kind of taste Seok-won saw that made him go so crazy.”

“Just cut off my arm, you bastard.”

“You crazy bitch. Yeah, what does the order matter? Let’s film it first, then do it.”

The man lunged at him with the axe, ready to chop off his wrist at any moment.

He closed his eyes tightly. His tied wrists were released, and one arm was placed under the sharp blade, as if on a guillotine. Yeah, if they wanted it, they could take his arm or leg. He gave up.

His fate wasn’t that of a hothouse flower anyway. If he was going to die like this, he didn’t want to struggle and live more miserably.

Sister, I’m scared. I’m so scared, I’m so afraid of dying like this, why did you die, sister?

When death loomed before him, the things he really wanted to ask burst out of his heart.

He gritted his teeth, trying to control his trembling body, even though he tried to pretend he wasn’t scared. Whether his teeth broke first or his wrist was cut off first, the conclusion was one of the two. The extreme fear made him rather detached.

A buzzing sound rang in his ears, and at the same time, a drop of tear that had formed on his chin fell.

Suddenly, all the noise became a jumble and mixed together. It was noisy all around. It felt like he was floating in water. That was when the buzzing sound, which had been ringing like he was submerged underwater, subsided. At the same time as the pressure that had been holding his wrist disappeared, he felt something lukewarm dripping and flowing on his arm.

Cha-eon slowly opened his eyes as if swimming out of the water. That was when the buzzing sound, which had been ringing like he was submerged underwater, subsided. The flesh of the man who had been holding his arm was shredded and gaping red. It was bloody all around. It was because of the blood.

The lukewarm liquid dripping down his arm was the blood that had splattered from the dead man.

He found a familiar face among the men standing with knives. It was Si-baek.

Men filling the warehouse, each holding a bat. The sound of hitting and beating heads didn’t stop.

Then, Cha-eon screamed at the sight of a head rolling under his feet. The head of the man who had been wielding the axe just a moment ago was rolling at his feet, with flesh torn off. In a panic, he waved his blood-soaked arm and tried to get up and run away, but a pale hand grabbed him.

“Let go of me! This...!!”

A strong force turned her around. Their eyes met. Cha Kwon-seok. It was that man. He was calling something. Only after seeing the man’s lips move did he come to his senses after a long time.

“Jung Cha-eon. Ms. Jung Cha-eon.”

“D-Director...”

“Understand. I was a bit rude.”

He told them to finish it cleanly. He clicked his tongue briefly. In this situation, he was saying that...

When he blinked repeatedly, unable to believe the man in front of him, Kwon-seok took out a cigarette and lit it. He lit the cigarette and took a deep drag, then handed the lit cigarette to her, who was still out of her mind.

“Calm down. There’s no one here to comfort you.”

He was nonchalantly comforting her while saying that.

Cha-eon immediately understood what he meant and bit the cigarette between his trembling teeth, but he didn’t calm down at all.

How could he expect her to calm down with this in this situation? She couldn’t even hold the cigarette properly and dropped it.

Her beaten lips wouldn’t close properly, and saliva dripped out. Tears welled up in her eyes from fear.

Just as she felt like she was losing consciousness, her vision flickered repeatedly. The shock brought on tinnitus as well. Startled, she gripped Kwon-seok’s arm tightly. She was panting heavily, and then a large hand touched her back.

With her vision blurred, she barely managed to look up.

The man, with eyes so indifferent they seemed almost heartless, stroked her back as if comforting a child.

“You’re making me do all sorts of things, you know.”

His eyes showed extreme annoyance, but strangely, when she met his gaze, tears welled up.

Ironically, even though this man was involved in this terrifying scene, when he arrived, an overwhelming sense of relief surged to her throat. One of the men who had surrounded her was lying face down on the floor, his head crushed like a smashed watermelon.

“Ugh,” she gagged, covering her mouth. She tried to close her trembling eyes, afraid she was going to vomit. Her swollen eyelids from the beating wouldn’t close properly.

As tears streamed down her face, she squeezed her stinging eyes shut and opened them again, but her vision suddenly went dark.

A large right hand covered her eyes. Cha Kwon-seok’s hand. She knew instantly. The ring she had seen several times was on his finger. The familiar touch, the scent of his cologne.

Just like comforting a child, the man seemed genuinely perplexed about what to do.

She could almost see the expression he was making.

“Understand. They’re probably just as pissed as you and me.”

Cha-eon gripped his fingers tightly and swallowed her tears. Though she couldn’t see anything, this man was by her side. A strange belief that this most ruthless man would protect her surged within her. Even though this man had hurt her, an unknown emotion overwhelmed her.

“Scared, I was scared,” she silently cried, closing her eyes. In truth, she had been holding back the fear, unable to say it. She was afraid that if she said she was scared, he would cut off both her arms and ankles.

Perhaps she wanted to act spoiled and cling to him, saying she was scared. But there was no one she could do that with.

As she held his hand and closed her eyes, her hearing sharpened. The sounds of a knife slicing through flesh and stabbing deep, the chilling sounds of throats and arms being cut, and the occasional sound of air hissing out filled her ears. She could also hear the groans of men on the verge of death. Everything was clearer than necessary.

She lowered his hand and turned her head to look up at Kwon-seok. His eyes, which were silently looking down at her, were dry and cold, but not empty. Looking into those cold eyes, she had the insane thought of what would have happened to her if he hadn’t come in this situation.

His left hand wiped the blood from around her lips. It was an incredibly warm hand. A warmth that couldn’t be compared to the lukewarm drops of blood.

Her breathing became even more rapid. She gasped for air, and he tapped her broad shoulder, fearing she might have another panic attack.

“Do you want to hold on or hug?”

“...Ah.”

“Then what, do you want me to carry you on my back?”

She shook her head. It wasn’t a refusal, but a gesture of not knowing how to calm herself down.

“What, do you want to do something more? Isn’t this place too thrilling for a fuck?”

Even in this situation, he was making crude jokes.

Without realizing it, she fumbled for his shirt and pulled it. She was gasping and sobbing, and then his face slowly came closer. His lips pressed against hers. At first, she didn’t know what he was doing. He was breathing into her, who was gasping for air, and then he pulled her neck closer, holding her tightly.

When did a simple kiss become this? At first, she just passively received the breath he gave her. Then their tongues touched, and he pulled her trembling, retreating tongue into his mouth. Her tearful tongue adhered to his moist, warm tongue. Even though she had done more with this man, this was her first kiss.

Saliva gathered in their intertwined tongues, and Cha-eon swallowed it as if quenching her thirst. Every time he tilted his lips and changed direction, the scent of his cologne wafted over her. On their touching skin, in their joined mouths, it seemed to permeate her as well.

She swallowed his bodily fluids endlessly, but her thirst was never quenched. As if sharing a strong drink. If she said that, this man would laugh dismissively, but she didn’t care.

The fear that had gripped her heart was being neutralized by his warmth. The slightly metallic taste mixed into his thick bodily fluids was her own blood. But the man didn’t care. He was composed, as if this was no more than a minor obstacle in a life spent dealing with blood. Ironically, that was why she felt more secure with him. She wanted to hide in his arms and find some relief. He was the only man who could save her.

Nights spent in constant anxiety, afraid of being robbed in her sleep. Nights spent like that her whole life. The insomnia that had worsened after her sister left. She wanted to sleep peacefully, even for a little while. The dreams of Su-ji and Kim Seok-won that came when she fell asleep. She was scared. She was scared of Kim Seok-won, and she was scared that she would give up and let go like Su-ji. She was scared because she had no one to rely on, and she was scared because there was no one she could tell she was scared. She stopped kissing him and rubbed her cheek against his, then buried her face in his neck. Even though she knew blood was getting on his warm, clean neck, she buried her face in it and rubbed it. On tiptoe, she hugged him tightly and endured this moment of collapse. Then he tilted his upper body slightly to adjust his posture. She took it as a sign of permission.

Only then did she cry out of fear. Not because her eyes were stinging, but because the fear that was welling up was so overwhelming that all the traumas she had lived with until now seemed like a joke.

As she hugged him, the hand supporting her back tightened its grip.

She clung to his neck like a child who wouldn’t allow any gap, and breathed.

Finally, she could breathe comfortably. It was the first time. The first time she had leaned on someone and asked for help. The first time there was someone to save her.

“If you keep crying, they’ll take you away.”

He gave her a strange scare, as if comforting a child, but the arms and chest that held her up, afraid she would fall, were incredibly strong. Strangely, his voice made her cry even more. He was so strong that she could lean on him without him budging.

To feel relief from the man who had so ruthlessly spread her legs and thrust into her.

But sadly, she was standing on the edge of a cliff, and among the many choices, this man was the safest.

Cha-eon buried her nose in his neck, which was filled with his scent, and showed her will to live. She rubbed her nose against his neck and kissed his neck as if giving little pecks, clinging to him. It was the first time she had ever acted spoiled.

The man didn’t push her away, finding her annoying, but instead pressed the hand supporting her back harder, bringing her upper body closer, afraid she would fall. With that subtle tenderness that only she could feel, Cha-eon used the present situation as an excuse to act spoiled to her heart’s content. Because this man accepted her even when she sobbed that she was scared, without pushing her away, she kept forgetting how to stop on her own and became more demanding.

“Hic, sob.”

‘What am I supposed to do to comfort her?’ Even the man’s low mumble reassured Cha-eon.

“Geon-ju, do you have a niece?”

“Yes, I have an elementary school student in the fourth grade. A boy, by the way.”

“Not a boy, a girl.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Neither of you is helpful. Are you still upset? Stop crying. I took care of them for you.”

He was definitely clumsy at comforting someone. His words, which combined threats and soothing, brought a strange sense of stability. It was a familiar nuance.

He told her to stop crying sternly, but when she sobbed bitterly, he rubbed her back. That strange contradiction made her cry even more. When she cried bitterly, the man showed a surprisingly tender side. One thing was certain: this formidable man, unbelievably, was weakened by her tears.

Inhaling the man’s scent deeply into her nostrils, she tried to regain her composure, which was crumbling again.

She had to live. She had to endure. She wanted to.

With his hand gently supporting her back, a faint memory came to her.

After they had joined their bodies like crazy people in the car, he had taken her into the house and laid her on the bed. She couldn’t sleep at night and groaned whenever she drank. Even with him beside her, nothing had changed. The intense sex had just ended. But she was definitely feeling better than usual.

“Are you going to keep crying? Stop it.”

“Heuh, sob, my head, hurts.”

“You’re making a fuss about everything.”

His voice echoed as if it was fading away. That night, even though he had said such terrifying things, he stroked her back and comforted her when she cried out of fear, and that gap made her feel even more strange.

“Where, what, a headache? It hurts because you keep crying like that.”

A headache pill he had found after searching the house was placed in her mouth. Then his lips met hers, and lukewarm water was poured into her mouth. After swallowing the water and pills, they continued to intertwine their tongues for a long time. So this wasn’t her first kiss. She also remembered how he had touched her wet lower body and inserted himself a second time while they were still entwining their tongues, but from there, everything was fragmented. She remembered that she had moaned loudly. She was definitely out of her mind, intoxicated by sleep, drugs, and the lingering effects of alcohol.

“Ah... aah, there.”

“Where, what, here?”

“Aah! Ah! Do it.”

“Do you want me to do it or not? What do you want? Do it or not?”

“There, inside. Aah!”

“It’s okay, just come. It’s not like you’ve only come once or twice.”

She remembered how she had become excited while being slapped on the buttocks, how she had come while tightly sucking on his cock, how she had eaten his thrusting dick while coming, and how she had twisted her waist as he slapped her buttocks.

“Stop crying. When you cry, I feel... fuck. It’s just... weird.”

He had definitely said that. To her, who was sniffling after sex.

“I feel like I’m going crazy because I don’t know what to do, so please stop. Let’s go to sleep.”

“Isn’t it time to go to sleep now?”

And how she had suffered from the lingering effects of intoxication in his chest.

She shouldn’t have drunk. She clearly remembered how she had suffered from foolish bravado in an attempt to face her trauma. She remembered how she had buried her face in his chest, sobbing, and how he had stroked her back.

“What are you so sad about?”

It was a low voice that spread like darkness in the quiet room.

“Crawl into the line where I can protect you. I can’t guarantee anything beyond that.”

Memories are terrifying. When they pierce your heart like an unexpected counterattack, you feel like you’re facing a defenseless battlefield, exposed and vulnerable. When did this man start knowing her?

“Boss. The big boss called...”

Whether it was a phone call or not, Si-baek’s voice came from behind her while she was hugging the man, her nose buried in his neck. Kwon-seok, who had been supporting her back, reached out and took what Si-baek handed him. But the call didn’t continue.

The sea was bathed in the dim light of dawn. The salty smell, stronger than the stench of blood, hit her.

The man stopped drinking his bottled water and reached out to her. Was he telling her to drink? When she blinked, he gestured again with the water bottle.

“Arm.”

Arm. Ah, arm. Clotted blood was matted on the blood-soaked arm. Cha-eon extended her arm under the water he offered. She washed her arm with the pouring water and rubbed the messy area around her lips with that hand. She had tasted blood when she kissed him earlier, so there must have been blood around her lips. But she had been fine earlier. She hadn’t been seized by panic like before, and she hadn’t lost her mind.

A kiss... they kissed earlier too.

Cha-eon touched her lips, stammering as she recalled the memory. Then she met Kwon-seok’s eyes.

Hmm, she cleared her throat and fidgeted with her fingertips, and he handed her a handkerchief. Cha-eon silently accepted the handkerchief. It was a new handkerchief. Not the one he had thrown into her one-room apartment.

“Finish up and come back.”

“Yes, boss.”

She wiped the moisture and handed back the handkerchief, but he walked towards the open back seat of the car. Seeing his face looking back without getting in, she knew he was waiting for her.

The car turned away from the beach, and it wasn’t until they were on the quiet national highway that she felt a little calmer. The man sitting next to her was leaning against the seat, his eyes closed. She looked down at the seat. His long, delicate fingers were close enough to hers to almost touch. They were so warm, she wondered if she could hold them again. My hands are cold. The sudden thought startled Cha-eon, and she shook her head vigorously.

“Do you want to hold them? Cut them off? Or maybe suck on them?”

“Yes, yes?”

“If not, why are you staring at them so intently? Should I tear them out and give them to you?”

His long finger tapped the seat.

“Oh, no. It’s not that I meant to...”

“If you didn’t mean to, keep your eyes to yourself. I’ll misunderstand.”

He always said his piece and cut her off like that, leaving her speechless.

“Did you... clean the car?”

Puh-ha. Cha-eon was startled by the man’s sudden laughter and looked at him.

“How much did you spill? Do you think it could be cleaned?”

She had tried to change the subject, but she was left speechless again. She finally understood when he kindly told her it was a different car of the same model. Realizing that it would be to her detriment to say more, Cha-eon chose to keep her mouth shut. But then, the voice she had heard in her sleep kept coming back to her.

“Um, thank you for saving me. Thank you for what happened today...”

“Aren’t you tired of saying that?”

His gentle tone was unique to this man. He was never flustered or surprised, which made her feel strangely out of place.

He rummaged through his chest for a cigarette, then dropped his hand without one.

“Why aren’t you smoking?”

“I wonder. I wonder why I’m not smoking.”

Even in the silence that followed, there was no suffocating pressure. Had she become a little more comfortable with this man? She had a crazy thought.

“When did you learn to smoke?”

“Oh, that. About a year ago. I don’t really like it.”

“You’re young and acting all tough. You’re making a fuss about everything.”

“What’s so young about twenty-four?”

“What? You’re only that old?”

The man’s eyebrow twitched, and he looked genuinely surprised. It seemed like the first time she had seen him surprised. It had been over a month since she had met this man, and the first time she saw him surprised was when he heard her age.

“I don’t have a thing for fucking kids.”

“Sh-shut up.”

It was absurd that he had gotten hard for a kid, but he looked even more absurd at her commanding tone.

“I’ve spoiled you way too much. Fix your way of speaking. If you want to live a day longer.”

Cha-eon nodded.

“Answer.”

“...Yes.”

Fearing he would say something even stranger, Cha-eon quickly changed the subject.

“Didn’t you know my age? Well, I guess it’s natural you wouldn’t know since I never told you.”

He wasn’t the kind of man who wouldn’t know just because she didn’t tell him. Even as she thought that, he looked at her with an “aren’t you naive” expression. Since he had a relationship with Su-ji, he must have done some background checks, so there’s no way he wouldn’t know. But it was more accurate to say that he had completely forgotten about her.

“You’re always worrying about useless things with that head of yours, that’s why you’re not aging.”

“Excuse me?”

“You don’t look like it, but the way you think, you’re quite...”

“Ah. An old soul? Me?”

“Then me? Never mind.”

He seemed capable of not saying a word if he really meant to, but she had a lot of questions.

In fact, she was rambling almost unconsciously as the extreme tension that had been gripping her body relaxed.

“How did you know I was there? And, um, I had your suit jacket, but I’m sorry I couldn’t return it in good condition. If you tell me how much it costs, I’ll buy you a new one.”

“Kid... let’s go quietly.”

She wasn’t usually talkative, but being with this man made her feel like she was the only one talking, and she felt strangely chatty.

“I still want to thank you for today... Oh, you said you were tired of that.”

“Aren’t you tired of it?”

“No. I keep having things to thank you for.”

“...You’re driving me crazy.”

“My sister said that if you receive a favor, you should know how to be grateful. That’s why I try hard not to owe anyone.”

“You need to stop trying so hard.”

He had an unnecessarily assertive and decisive side.

“Why?”

“Try putting that effort into something else. Aren’t you tired?”

“...I know I’m frustrating. I grew up poor, and I didn’t want to hear that I was like that, so I ended up living like this. But it’s more comfortable for everyone if you don’t owe anyone.”

The man was silent, and the car quietly drove down the road.

“Anyway, I’ll repay you for the help I received.”

More than anything else, she felt indebted for using the large sum of money he had given her to pay off Ae-ran’s debt. After all, she had received money she shouldn’t have.

“If it’s some paltry amount of money or a meal, I’ll decline in advance.”

“Then... I don’t have money to give you, but a meal wouldn’t be bad.”

“It has to be interesting to pique my interest. Why don’t you try stepping out of your comfort zone? Who knows, it might be worth it.”

How could he say such things without changing his expression?

He was fiddling with the unlit cigarette, his face so relaxed that she wondered if she had misheard him. The atmosphere was so blatantly clear that he wouldn’t easily accept any answer she gave that she felt physically uncomfortable.

“Why, don’t you like it?”

Cha-eon pulled down her skirt, which was revealing her thighs.

“You’ve seen it all, what’s the point of hiding it?”

He leaned back lazily and smiled. A strangely gentle tone that wasn’t questioning or reproachful. His unique way of speaking always made people feel like children. It made her feel childish, like someone who didn’t know the ways of the world.

She gripped the hem of her skirt, which was too short to pull down any further. A small laugh escaped his lips, but there was no mockery.

“Well done. Wearing things like that is why those bastards try to touch you. Why don’t you just show them your panties too?”

She wondered if this man knew that it was better to save the money she had for tuition rather than buying clothes that suited her taste.

“I already showed them everything.”

Seeing the man’s eyebrows furrowed so severely, Cha-eon instinctively knew that this wasn’t the right answer. A sigh followed, which was a little scary.

“Raising a kid is so hard.”

“Raising? Me...?”

“If not, why would I be crazy enough to follow you around? Forget it, Cha-eon. Let’s just go. Okay?”

“Oh, maybe it’s because of my sister...”

Cha-eon stopped mid-sentence. She didn’t want to talk about her sister anymore. There was nothing good to gain from sharing it with this man. It only brought back painful memories.

“Um, anyway, I’ve never done anything for people who have a lot, so I don’t know what you want. But if you need anything, I can do it. Not the kind of thing you’re talking about.”

“What are you going to repay me with if you can’t even do that? What do you have to give?”

Did he have to put her down like this, even when she was trying to express gratitude? With his constant taunts, she couldn’t help but blurt out her true feelings.

“...Yes. I’m sorry. I have nothing to give, yet I spoke out of turn. I just wanted to express my gratitude...”

“If necessary, will you give me one of your ankles?”

She never imagined she would hear such an unexpected thing from this man. As her expression hardened, the man’s lips deepened into a smile. Is he teasing me? Cha-eon frowned, but she couldn’t express her feelings out loud.

“Why, don’t you like that either?”

He had held her so tightly just a moment ago, and now he was asking if he should cut off her ankle. He spoke harshly, but she knew he wouldn’t carry it out. If it were someone else, they would have cut off her ankle right there, but she had a strange certainty that he wouldn’t do that to her. It gave her a strange feeling. A tingling, fluffy feeling that didn’t fit the current situation.

“You’re going to pay me off with just a meal? You think I’m that easy?”

But Cha-eon snapped back to her senses at the man’s next words.

The lazy breath escaping his lips made her feel unnecessarily intimidated. That smile made her lower her head involuntarily. If he was going to smile, he should smile brightly.

“...Sorry.”

No, she wasn’t sorry at all. She had received a favor, but that didn’t mean she had to listen to his sarcasm and mockery. But even if she opened her mouth, she was still in a position to receive help, so she had nothing to say. It was so sad to know her place so well.

“You keep saying such scary things...”

“If you’re not going to do it, don’t talk about repaying me. I don’t want to bother with you trying to test me with your shallow mind.”

He really seemed too tired to even argue.

“Test... what did I do wrong... I just...”

“You want to pretend to be a good person even though you’re not capable, you want to assert your pride even though you have nothing to give but your body, go act like that to your friends. I hate your pathetic savior complex.”

“...You’re always so eloquent.”

“What?”

“Nothing. I was just mumbling to myself.”

How did he hear her small voice again? Cha-eon quickly lowered her head. Fortunately, he didn’t seem angry, just exasperated.

Unlike her, or rather, unlike anyone she had ever met, he was the most rational and cold-headed person. And he accurately grasped the essence of the problem, no matter how much he beat around the bush. He was a man who didn’t want superficial things that he couldn’t keep.

That’s right. Hypocrisy. When you think about it, it’s also a lie. Whether it’s good or evil depends on your heart. Anyway, it was a lie. A lie of talking big as if you could do something when you couldn’t.

It was true, but she couldn’t help but resent the man who deliberately provoked her with his sharp words. But, but. Ironically, she felt a little relieved because she knew that this man, who would mercilessly cut off heads if he was really upset, was on her side. So she made a silly joke.

She must be crazy, but she felt relieved that this man was by her side. Even though he was saying such a brutal thing as cutting off her ankle, she knew he wouldn’t really do it.

“Do you have anywhere to go?”

He reached out and brushed away a strand of her hair that was stuck to the clotted blood on her scratched face, which had been bothering him for a while. It didn’t seem like affection, but rather like removing something that was bothering him. Seeing how he always appeared so neat and tidy, with every button perfectly fastened, she could guess his personality.

Like the saying, “a frog dies from a stone thrown casually,” she wondered if he had done this to Ae-ran as well. That’s probably why Ae-ran had feelings for this man beyond business.

As her casual curiosity led to more specific thoughts, her heart ached. Why? Cha-eon swallowed her saliva and answered his question.

“Yes. I can stay at Ae-ran’s place for a few days.”

“That’s not very safe.”

Why was it? It felt like this man would be behind her, even if something happened. It was a guess without any basis or reason, but it was a vague, reassuring belief. It was a feeling she had never felt before in her life.

“Get out.”

The car stopped in front of an unknown place. It was a hospital.

“Oh, it’s okay. A few ice packs will make it go down...”

She shook her head, saying it was okay. But Cha-eon was troubled by the man’s unspoken pressure to get out quickly. He was stubborn even though she said she was okay. As she looked at his face, he sighed and reached out. Startled, she closed her eyes tightly, but his arm wrapped around her neck. He pulled her closer to his face, making her look out the window. His face was next to hers. His strong masculine scent was right in front of her. His sharp nose was right in front of her.

Startled, she blinked her big eyes, and the man pointed out the window with his finger.

The large hand that had crudely touched her intimate parts and patted her sobbing back, the long fingers, the neat nails. Cha-eon cleared her throat to regain her composure.

The man pointed to a man wearing a cap, pulled down low.

“See that man wearing a cap? Go through that door and turn left.”

“...”

“Go to the emergency room, see a doctor, get some medicine, and come out. Easy, right?”

He explained step by step, as if talking to a kindergartner, and then prompted her again with a “Hmm?” for an answer. It didn’t seem like he was teasing her, but even as he spoke playfully, his eyes were still intimidating. When she shook her head, refusing to go to the hospital, he seemed to be trying to soothe her, as if he thought she was scared. Of course, she knew he would immediately change his demeanor if she refused any further.

“Tell them to give you the shot without it hurting.”

He was a man of strangely different words and actions. He had talked about wanting her ankle or cutting it off, but now he was explaining things kindly when persuading her to go to the hospital. Of course, it was close to coercion, but strangely, she didn’t feel bad about being treated like a child so openly. Besides, she had no desire to act spoiled, but his words didn’t seem to contain any mockery, and more than anything, it seemed like he was constantly taking care of her. It was all probably just her imagination. If she annoyed him again, harsh words would immediately follow. She felt like she understood him to some extent now.

“Why, do we have to go to a different hospital? Si-baek, how long does it take to get to another hospital from here?”

“Ah, no. It’s okay.”

“Good. Listen to me. I’m too weak today to scold you any further.”

It was the hospital where her sister’s funeral had been held, but she didn’t want to argue any further. When she nodded in agreement, he finally released his arm from around her neck. His face, which seemed too tired to argue any further, moved away. Si-baek opened the car door, threatening her to get out. He just stood there without saying anything, but it was a silent threat and pressure. In the end, she went to the emergency room, received simple treatment and a prescription, and then got back into the car. Only then did the car start moving, heading towards her familiar neighborhood.

“It will sting for a few more days.”

His low voice strangely calmed her mind. His voice had that effect.

“It’s okay. I’ve been hit a lot, so this is nothing.”

She couldn’t tell what his gaze meant, but he was definitely different from the man who had held an axe and threatened to cut off her wrist. He said he would cut off her limbs, but he had different eyes.

“...If you need anything, contact Chief Choi.”

When the man reached his hand to the front seat, Si-baek handed him a business card without saying a word. Kwon-seok handed the card to her. Even that gesture was rude. It seemed like an ingrained habit of someone who didn’t need to bow his head. He handed her the card carelessly between his fingers. She shouldn’t have accepted it, but Cha-eon couldn’t refuse and took what he offered. Perhaps she thought it was her only point of contact with him. He could find her whenever he wanted, but she couldn’t do the same. Whether it was Chairman Seong’s order or not, it would be over if his mind changed, so she wouldn’t be able to contact him for thanks or anything else. Si-baek’s card had his phone number and everything else on it.

“Does your mouth rip if you answer nicely?”

“Ah, yes. I will.”

The man, who had to do things his way to be satisfied, seemed frustrated with Cha-eon, who was always a step behind him. She wondered how quickly she had to move her body and mind to keep up with that man, and she was suddenly impressed by his subordinates in the front seat.

“Get out, Jung Cha-eon.”

He said, looking at her, who was still sitting in the car. He spoke playfully, but his eyes never looked playful, which was why she was scared and confused about whether he was serious. The quiet and peaceful alley was now bathed in the blinding red morning sun. She had said thank you many times before, so it was time to get out. Their little fingers, which had almost touched, finally touched. His face, leaning back against the seat and looking at her gently, was relaxed. Eyes that had never known fear. What kind of life did he have to live to have such eyes? How much ugliness did he have to see to be so strong? She suddenly felt scared, but she also envied his strength. If such a man declared that he would be on her side, she would have nothing to fear. No one would dare to look down on her and reach out to her recklessly. Not Seok-won, who had slapped her while dragging her away, not the men who had choked her, asking what she had done to Seok-won, not the men who had treated her like a bar girl and cursed at her. In this neighborhood, salvation is self-made. She had stubbornly endured among the people who gave up on life because it was too much. Among the people who lived emotionally, dealing with customers, she was also a weak person who was just swept along by the waves. That’s why she envied the unwavering rudeness and strength of the man who was unmoved by anyone. She envied the courage to be like that. He was a type of person she had never seen in her life. He was different from Seok-won, the neighborhood thug who asserted his pride by using violence against weak women. His arrogance knew no bounds and didn’t discriminate against anyone. He wouldn’t even properly grab her ankle, let alone break it, but he would mercilessly cut off the ankles of men who were acting out of line. It was something she didn’t have, and something no one she had ever seen had. She didn’t want that kind of violence. She just envied the courage to say no and fight back. She couldn’t deny the longing and attraction to something she had never had. But Cha-eon vaguely guessed. This man was a poisoned chalice. A dangerous man who would destroy everything if she dared to drink from it. But rather than being humiliated and killed by a strange man she didn’t know... How could she say that after spending a night with him? Cha-eon scolded herself. He said he would raise her? It was just his way of expressing that he would take care of her, but she felt strange.

“I’ll take care of my own business. So you don’t have to bother anymore. No more... unnecessary things with Ae-ran... or spying on me...”

Was that why he got angry when she said that? She had meant to tell him to stop protecting and shielding her, but her words had come out harshly. Spying and surveillance. Yet she was the one who needed his help. She couldn’t even imagine how difficult the situation would have been if he hadn’t been there. He was right. She had nothing to give him, and she was pretending to be strong when she couldn’t even protect herself. She had to be like that until now. If she didn’t pretend to be strong, there would only be people who would ignore and trample on her. She had to survive in that environment.

“...”

She looked at their fingertips, which were touching, for a while without saying anything. What was he thinking? Cha-eon let out a hollow laugh and smiled a little. When she raised her head, she met his eyes, which were still looking at her with his chin tilted. She suddenly wondered. Would this man treat other women like this? Like this...

“I told you to keep your eyes to yourself. I’ll misunderstand. Can’t you control yourself?”

He had kindly taken her to the hospital, but he was already scratching her nerves again, just because she had annoyed him a little.

Why give me his business card then? He can do it, but I can’t? Cha-eon’s head was buzzing, but she couldn’t say a word. Of course, she was also afraid of this man.

He was an unpredictable man anyway. His words and actions were so blatantly different. To be honest, that’s why she wanted to know more about him. She wondered what his true feelings were. Should she believe his harsh words or his gentle actions?

She didn’t want to admit it, but if this man hadn’t been there earlier, she would have most likely had her arm cut off, or all her limbs cut off, and been thrown into the Incheon sea, one of the two. She knew she still wanted to live and realized she couldn’t die like her sister.

“I think the director would like it too. The food there isn’t bad. It’s better than my ankle...”

“Uh, no thanks.”

“...”

“What is it? What’s so great about it? Forget it. Go on.”

He waved his hand, telling her to go, as if arguing any further would only give him a headache.

As she opened the door to get out, she heard the click of a metal lighter opening. He seemed to be lighting a cigarette, as if he had been holding back.

“You.”

At the sound of his voice, she involuntarily turned around. The cigarette still wasn’t lit.

“That outfit.”

The moment she stared straight into his eyes, Si-baek quietly called Kwon-seok. Seeing Si-baek handing him his phone, as if it was important, he waved his hand again, telling her to go.

As she got out of the car, she saw Ae-ran coming out of the building entrance. She must have been planning to go to the public bath early in the morning, as she had a small basket in her hand, filled with bath supplies.

“Cha-eon, where have you been? Your face... what happened?”

Ae-ran’s eyes immediately went to the black sedan.

Seeing Kwon-seok’s car, she bowed her head towards the car, even though she couldn’t see inside.

She looked somehow sad. She hadn’t asked, but she seemed to have gotten the answer.

Something that couldn’t be hidden, even if you wanted to. Something that couldn’t be concealed, no matter how hard you tried.

Ae-ran’s eyes wavered. Su-ji had experienced it, and she herself had once dreamed of it, without knowing her place, that tingling, heart-pounding feeling.

That was it.

Cha-eon hugged her knees and gently touched her lips, which had been treated with medicine. The feeling of the warm touch came to mind, and she involuntarily ran her tongue over her lips. She only tasted the bitter medicine, but she felt strangely sweet.

“Does it sting a lot?”

Ae-ran, who had brought warm milk with a worried voice, lifted Cha-eon’s chin and examined her injured face.

“What happened to you?”

With no one to comfort her, she held her back and stroked her with a small sigh. Her hand was warm. Was it warm that night too?

He spoke harshly, but strangely, his hand stroked her warmly.

The warmth that touched her lips and the hand that stroked her back. That night, the intense sex seemed like a lie, and the gentle kiss seemed to be saying it was okay.

A kiss... how did he know she had been taken? Stop thinking. Cha-eon shook her head.

Don’t think about it. You know. How dangerous he is. You know better than anyone.

Cha-eon pinched herself. What was she thinking, about a man? Especially Director Moonseong... Since when had she been so carefree as to think about a man?

Looking back, at that time...

“You’d better keep your mouth shut. You’re struggling with student loans, you need to keep this place.”

Si-baek had said that for her sake. Whether she spoke or not, Kwon-seok could have killed them all, but she would be tormented by their threats, so it was much easier for her to keep quiet.

“What are you thinking so hard about?”

“Oh, nothing.”

“Who did this? Your cheek is swollen.”

“Kim Seok-won...”

“Kim Seok-won? Where was that bastard? That crazy bastard, I knew it. He’s been hiding somewhere and now he’s hitting you. That crazy bastard. Let me see. Does it hurt a lot?”

Not Kim Seok-won, but the gangsters Kim Seok-won was involved with.

Cha-eon refrained from giving any further details. It seemed better for both of them.

“How did you come with the director?”

Ae-ran asked cautiously. Her eyes were filled with tension, her lips with anxiety. Seeing her face, Cha-eon felt her heart, which had been fluttering for a moment, sink like wet cotton. Her mouth tasted bitter.

A pile of soju bottles caught her eye in the corner of the room. Ae-ran hadn’t drunk much since she started working at the massage parlor, except during work hours.

“If a whore drinks until she loses her mind, there’s really no hope.” That’s what Ae-ran had once told her. She seemed to drink only when she was struggling with credit card bills, when a serious relationship ended, or when she was upset about money.

“Were you two together last night?”

“...It just happened.”

“I see. Oh, I was just worried about you. But it’s a relief. Should I order some hangover soup? It’s before breakfast, for you too.”

Ae-ran glanced at her, wiping under her nose. She smiled awkwardly, looking for her phone.

“By the way, how many days are you staying here?”

She knew the meaning of that too well, and she felt sad. She wished she could be an oblivious, clueless person. Would she have been a little more comfortable than she was now if she had lived like that?

“You smell like the director’s cologne. Hey, there’s blood on your clothes too. What did you do? Give it to me. I’ll wash it.”

“Sister.”

“Yeah?”

“Do you like the director?”

Ae-ran didn’t answer. If it had been normal, she would have known the meaning and wouldn’t have asked any further. She wouldn’t have pried or been curious.

But today, Ae-ran brought up his story first, as if she wanted her to ask first. She kept, kept, turning the subject to him, unable to escape from it.

“Do you like him? Cha Kwon-seok.”

▷

Kwon-seok was alone in the empty conference room, sitting at the head of the table.

The cigarette burning alone in his fingertips no longer appealed to him. He stubbed out the cigarette, which he hadn’t even smoked a few puffs of, and clicked the lighter meaninglessly.

He had looked detached from death, but in fact, he was more afraid than anyone else. At the motel room, and last night too, he had shown his weakness with that foolish face, which was why a bastard like Kim Seok-won had tried to take advantage of her. He felt disgusted.

Killing one more person wasn’t a problem, but he didn’t know why facing that face bothered him so much.

There was nothing more frustrating than an unclear reason. Not being able to explain the logic coherently meant that you were likely to be swayed by emotions and ruin things.

“Fuck. If you have nothing to do at home, at least your sex life should be good. What, an affair? You better do well. Am I looking for another woman?”

The memories should have faded by now, but memories were unnecessarily good at making past events clearer as time went on.

His mother was beaten to death by his father. His mother knew the end but didn’t choose to escape. She knew that even if she ran away, it would still be a gutter.

Jung Cha-eon, who struggled to escape the gutter, and now Jung Cha-eon, whose will was broken and withered in a corner of the beauty salon.

Life was so light and insignificant. There was only one way to be born, but there were tens of thousands of ways to die. The only choice humans could make was whether to bring it upon themselves or not.

He severed his ties with his father as if cutting off his own flesh and blood. That was how he punished his mother’s death. And then he met Chairman Seong. Chairman Seong, who had come to punish his father, the man who had killed his younger sister. That was his first encounter with Chairman Seong.

“......”

Kwon-seok stared impassively at the contract written in English.

His unexpectedly long academic background came in handy. He hadn’t lived a particularly diligent life, nor was he interested in studying, but he figured he might as well get a diploma while he was at it.

It was naive to think that all that mattered in this world was fighting. He was tired of realizing that too early. No matter how good you were at fighting, everyone who had been around knew that you couldn’t beat someone who used their head.

Instead of waving a knife around, you could slowly corner them, cut off their limbs without anyone noticing, and easily take their head. There was no need to escalate things, and the job could be done easily. Kwon-seok clicked the lighter impassively.

“Then... I don’t have money to give you, but a meal wouldn’t be bad.”

“It has to be interesting to pique my interest. Why don’t you try stepping out of your comfort zone? Who knows, it might be worth it.”

Her eyes were filled with bewilderment.

She had a face that looked like she was suffering from the hardships of the world, but in reality, she had innocent eyes that didn’t know the reality of life. Innocent eyes. He felt a sadistic urge to taint and ruin them, but also wanted to protect her from this filth, and sometimes wanted to see her cry miserably beneath him.

When he looked into those clear eyes, dozens of emotions tangled together in a complex way.

She loved her sister so much, but she didn’t know what her sister and Chairman Seong did every day. She was a smart idiot.

She said she had lived in a motel for 10 years, but when he showed her the sight of them fucking in front of her, her lips, which didn’t know what to do, were funny.

He wanted to show her even more dirty and filthy things.

If he was looking forward to seeing what kind of expression she would make and what kind of reaction she would have, was he also crazy?

Would she cling to him and cry again? It was a foolish fantasy. How could he be having such idle thoughts?

He liked her crying, he really did. But the problem was that his enjoyment ended there. Regardless of why she was crying, if she wasn’t crying because of him, he felt like shit.

To be precise, that was the reason for Kim Seok-won’s execution.

He had offended him, and that alone was more than enough reason.

What kind of expression would she make if she knew that she was the real reason Kim Seok-won was killed?

He let out a small laugh. It was a pleasant fantasy. Dangerous.

He stared impassively at Jung Cha-eon’s designer bag that Si-baek had brought. She acted like the world was ending when she was in debt. She needed to close her eyes and ears a little to live more easily, but she didn’t know how to do that, so she suffered.

Jung Cha-eon was right. There was no need to send anyone to track her anymore. There was no need to intervene if she was kidnapped or sold. She was bothering him unnecessarily.

He wasn’t usually an impulsive person, but that woman, who dug into his head and took control like an impulse, gave him a headache.

He had been staring at the ashtray filled with cigarette butts for a long time when he got up to leave the conference room, and Si-baek came in.

The phone Si-baek was holding was flashing. It was a familiar number. It was Jung Cha-eon, the person who had just given him so much pleasure with his imagination.