TATMFL - 13

Do-kyung leaned his body forward. 

With his center of gravity shifting forward, it was only natural that more pressure bore down through his foot. 

“Ggghh, ngh…!” 

By now, the drunk patron had rolled his eyes back and was half-foaming at the mouth. Do-kyung, still smiling sweetly, asked him: 

“If you’re so bored, I can liven things up for you.” 

His expression remained as cheerful as when he was chatting with Ra-on, completely unfazed despite the fact that he was literally crushing another man underfoot. 

Watching this, Ra-on couldn’t help but feel a chill run down her spine. The idea that someone could smile while destroying another person was horrifying. It was no surprise that memories of that night came flooding back to her. 

At the same time, she wondered what had happened to the person who had been dragged away back then. But now wasn’t the time to dwell on that. 

“Hnggh, ugh…!” 

“That’s enough.” 

Finally unable to bear it any longer, Ra-on reached out and grabbed Do-kyung’s arm, pulling at it. 

Do-kyung’s gaze, which had been fixed on the squirming drunk beneath his foot like a bug, shifted to his arm. 

“Hmm?” 

More precisely, he looked at the back of Ra-on’s hand resting on his arm. Though she tried to appear composed, her slender fingers were trembling uncontrollably. 

Was it because he was wearing black, or was it due to the dim lighting inside the bar? The skin of her hand stood out as unusually pale against his arm. 

Do-kyung’s eyes wandered over her hand in a peculiar, lingering way. Slowly tracing upward, his gaze narrowed faintly. 

At that moment, Ra-on blurted out urgently: 

“You said you follow the law, right?” 

Finally seeming to register the tension radiating from her rigid posture, Do-kyung muttered: 

“Oh, the law.” 

He acted as though he’d just remembered something he’d forgotten. Watching him, Ra-on tightened her grip on his arm. 

Feeling the increased pressure of her grasp, Do-kyung glanced down again at her small, delicate hand, the knuckles starkly white. He clicked his tongue softly. 

But almost immediately, he looked back up at Ra-on and smiled. 

Though he was smiling, there was something undeniably feral in his gaze. Unconsciously, Ra-on swallowed hard. A shiver ran down her spine. 

Do-kyung nodded slowly. 

“I do tend to follow the law.” 

Just as Ra-on opened her mouth to respond, thinking she knew what he’d say next, Do-kyung quickly added: 

“But there’s something I didn’t mention.” 

With deliberate force, he pressed down harder on the leg of the drunk beneath him, making sure Ra-on noticed. 

“Ggghhhhh!” 

A groan escaped the half-unconscious drunk. Reflexively, Ra-on glanced downward and winced at the sight of the man’s face, now deathly pale after turning bright red.

At the moment her gaze shifted toward the drunk, a disapproving tsk sounded from above. The man’s wheezing cries were merely an afterthought. 

“Gghhk, gghh…!” 

“Next time we talk, Ra-on,” 

“…!” 

The calm, measured voice overhead caused Ra-on to slowly lift her head. 

She couldn’t bring herself to protest how casually he used her name as if they were close. 

His deep-set eyes narrowed into sharp crescents as they bore into her, sending a chill racing down her spine. Though his face was still undeniably beautiful enough to captivate anyone, in this moment, it was terrifying enough to make her hair stand on end. 

“We’ll have a proper conversation, eye to eye. Got it?” 

His tone was soft and gentle, but the threat lurking beneath was unmistakable. Before Ra-on could even nod in a daze, Do-kyung continued. 

“Alright then, let’s negotiate.” 

“…” 

“If I release this guy as you asked, what will you do for me?” 

Ra-on’s mouth dropped open in disbelief at the absurd demand. 

“If I don’t get an answer within one minute, I’ll consider the negotiation over. And I’ll crush this guy’s balls so he can never feel proud of his dick again. So think carefully before you speak.” 

Insane. 

With a panicked expression, Ra-on looked up at Do-kyung. He appeared completely nonchalant, as if he hadn’t been smiling just moments ago, idly toying with the pressure of his foot. 

He really was insane. 

It seemed he had eased the pressure on the drunk’s groin, as no more groans could be heard. Or perhaps the man had finally passed out from the pain. 

Around them, chaos erupted—people snapping photos and recording videos—but the man didn’t seem to care in the slightest. 

By now, the bar owner had emerged from the kitchen, looking half-stunned. Fights among intoxicated customers were hardly rare in a pub like this, but something like today’s incident was undoubtedly a first in his life. 

“Ra-on.” 

The soft call brushing against her ear made Ra-on snap her head up. 

Do-kyung was smiling. 

“You don’t have much time to think about anything else, do you?” 

Watching Ra-on’s lips part silently as she struggled to find words, Do-kyung hummed thoughtfully and tilted his head. 

Then, as if realizing something, he exclaimed, “Ah!” 

“Were you waiting for me to crush them? Is that why you’ve kept quiet until now?” 

“What…?!” 

“No?” 

Do-kyung widened his eyes in mock disappointment, and Ra-on swallowed hard under his piercing gaze. 

She didn’t understand why she had to pay the price for someone else’s misdeeds, but she knew one thing: she had to save the man first. 

“I already made you one. You said it was delicious.” 

“Huh?” 

Do-kyung tilted his head at Ra-on’s abrupt, subject-less statement. 

“The Faust. You said it was the best one you’ve ever had.” 

“Well…” Do-kyung drawled, considering her words. “That’s true, but negotiating with something I paid for doesn’t quite balance out, does it?”

At his words, Ra-on blurted out abruptly, 

“Hey! I’m quitting this place.” 

“Hmm?” 

With a fleeting look of dismay crossing her face, Ra-on quickly added, 

“So even if you come back here later craving the cocktail you had today, you won’t be able to have one made by me.” 

Finally, Do-kyung’s interest seemed piqued as he smiled. 

“That’s a bit disappointing. Whether it’s coffee or cocktails, the ones you’ve made for me were the best.” 

A flicker of contemplation passed over Do-kyung’s face shortly after. 

It was almost as if he had been hoping for a different answer. 

But soon— 

“Alright.” 

As if reaching some sort of conclusion, Do-kyung nodded with an air of generosity. 

“If you promise to make me a cocktail anytime, anywhere I want, I’ll back off.” 

Ra-on wanted to protest against such an unfair negotiation, but knowing what Do-kyung’s profession likely entailed, there was only one thing she could say: 

“…Fine.” 

“Okay. Deal.” 

With that, Do-kyung finally looked satisfied and lifted his foot. He then signaled toward someone in the crowd. Suddenly, men in black suits emerged from among the onlookers, hoisted up the collapsed drunk, and disappeared with him. 

Watching as the cameras that had been recording were collected one by one, Ra-on asked in a faint, trembling voice, 

“Where are they taking that man?” 

“Hmm?” 

Do-kyung tilted his head at her question, then shrugged indifferently. 

“To the hospital.” 

“…What?” 

“They need to check if both sides are intact and nothing’s burst.” 

“…” 

“The cleanup will be handled properly, so don’t worry too much about it.” 

Ra-on glanced up at Do-kyung briefly before clamping her mouth shut and turning her gaze away with a weary expression. As the tension drained from her body, exhaustion washed over her like a wave. 

“Ha…” 

Leaning her wobbling body against the bar table, she swallowed shallowly and exhaled. 

She was too tired to even ponder whether the combination of “cleanup” and “don’t worry” was appropriate. Already fatigued from working the night shift, saving someone’s life had completely drained her energy. It felt as though every ounce of stamina she had left had been utterly depleted. As Ra-on wiped her face wearily, an unwelcome voice sounded above her head. 

“But, Ra-on.” 

“…?” 

At the soft call, Ra-on weakly turned her head, having pressed her eyelids shut tightly. Do-kyung was looking at her as if observing something curious. 

“That little precious dick of his—what made you jump into a contract over it? And with someone like me, no less.” 

Though his tone was nonchalant, one corner of Do-kyung’s lips was slightly curled upward. 

Leaning his upper body forward to meet her eye level, he gave her a bright, mischievous smile.

“Fearless, huh?” 

How could he say something like that so casually…! Before Ra-on could even process whether the man in front of her was a gangster or not, her brow furrowed deeply. 

Do-kyung clicked his tongue as he observed the languid tilt of Ra-on’s eyes, which she had intended to look sharp but instead appeared more drowsy due to her exhaustion. Rather than appearing fierce, her gaze carried an unintentional allure that stirred something provocative in him. 

He couldn’t help but imagine how much more stimulating it might be in a bed. The thought made him regret the earlier agreement over the cocktail all the more. 

But well, there would be plenty of opportunities ahead. 

Despite his seemingly indifferent exterior, Do-kyung recalled Ra-on’s inherently gentle nature and straightened himself up. Watching him, Ra-on had to steady the sharp breath that nearly escaped her lips. 

“…” 

Perhaps it was fortunate that he was well aware of how dangerous he was. Unaware of what Do-kyung was truly thinking about her, Ra-on barely managed to swallow the bitter laugh threatening to spill out. 

…As if she had protected that man’s precious parts out of goodwill. 

If she hadn’t intervened, a corpse would have been inevitable. And everyone in the bar knew it—especially Ra-on herself. 

Even Do-kyung, more than anyone else, was fully aware of this fact. From the moment she stepped in to stop him, his gleaming, intrigued gaze never left her. 

That was why no one dared to intervene, leaving them as mere spectators. They watched, hoping that Ra-on, who seemed familiar with Do-kyung and held his full attention, would somehow resolve the situation. 

And yet, he called her fearless? 

“Ha…” 

Ra-on exhaled a deep sigh and pressed firmly on her dry, heavy eyelids. 

Teasing her silence, Do-kyung hummed lightly. 

“Well, for me, it’s a deal where I lose nothing, so I don’t mind. But I’m warning you because I don’t want to see you get scammed like today somewhere else. So take my advice to heart, Ra-on. Got it?” 

“…” 

“Alright then.” 

After delivering his seemingly friendly advice, Do-kyung sauntered back to the seat he had occupied just moments ago. 

And then— 

“What are you waiting for? Another Faust, please.”