TWELVE 80

Instinctively, the decision to get out of this car took hold. It was the moment I gripped the door handle. Someone clamped a hand over my mouth.

“…”

Mister Taksu was still holding the steering wheel. I moved my eyes as far back as they would go. It was another person’s hand coming from the backseat.

“Stay quiet, you brat,” the man in the back whispered. Something cold touched the skin beneath my jaw. It was a knife. A chill swept through my entire body.

“It would have been easier if you had just kicked the bucket back there, but Mr. Woo Seungkyung sure is going through a lot of trouble,” Mister Taksu said, and the man in the back muttered.

“I told you we should have just finished him off earlier; that moron, fuck.”

“Once we wrap things up here, should we just get rid of that bastard too?”

Then, a man with a voice I was hearing for the first time spoke. There were two men hiding in the backseat.

“Let’s not waste our energy on things that don’t pay, boys,” Mister Taksu said in a tone that seemed to coax the men in the back. Then he glanced at me. “We’re all just doing this to make a living, so don’t resent us too much.”

“…”

My mouth was covered, so I couldn’t say anything. It wasn’t an atmosphere where they would listen to whatever I had to say anyway.

I felt like I knew the identities of the세 men who had kidnapped me again.

‘Thank you for your hard work, hyung-nims!’

They were the men Jeon Juseok had bowed to, the ones who had suddenly assaulted me and vanished.

I wasn’t certain because I hadn’t been in a state of mind to verify their faces at the time, but inferring from the conversation they were having amongst themselves, there was a high probability I was right.

Who were these people? They didn’t seem like Jeon Juseok’s insignificant lackeys, so why were they doing this to me?

Where am I going?

What’s going to happen?

Am I going to die?

Like in a movie, I imagined biting the hand covering my mouth and throwing myself out of the car to run away. However, to open the passenger door, the engine would have to be turned off first.

Moreover, even if I succeeded in escaping the car, the next part was the problem. The surroundings were entirely snowy fields. It wasn’t just any snowy field; the snow was piled up as high as a person’s waist. With my physical condition, I wouldn’t be able to go far. It was the perfect condition to get lost and freeze to death.

For now, I decided to watch the situation. Since it was the second time I was being kidnapped, I was able to maintain a surprising amount of composure.

Naturally, the car did not go toward the town as promised. It simply continued to drive along unpaved roads. Not a single person passed by.

Every time the car jolted, the knife blade aimed at my neck coldly brushed against my skin. It felt as if a wound had been made, but it didn’t hurt.

“Is it still much further?” the man in the back asked, and Mister Taksu replied.

“Just be patient.”

“Fuck, I left a spot reserved at the gambling den.”

“You almost screwed up and lost this brat while playing cards, and you still haven’t come to your senses?”

“Ayy, nagging again…”

Judging by the fact that the man in the back couldn’t actively argue back, it seemed Mister Taksu was the leader of this group.

Should I try begging this person to spare my life?

No. It would probably be useless.

I had never imagined my death, but even if I had, I at least wouldn’t have expected to die in this manner. It felt like it would be less of a grievance to pass away in an accident instead.

While thinking that Jeon Juseok was the cause of this mess, I couldn’t find a reason why he was going to such lengths to harm me.

What was the relationship between Jeon Juseok and these men? What on earth was their purpose…

“Is it here?”

The car stopped.

“Ah, fuck, my arm hurts. Do it quickly,” the man who had the knife aimed at me grumbled. Mister Taksu turned off the car engine and got out. It wasn’t the timing to run away yet. I checked my surroundings first.

An empty lot. Trash. Around it, a metal fence that had turned brown with rust was built high. A yellow sign with almost all its stickers peeled off caught my eye.

[Dae-il Junk]

It seemed to be a place used as a junkyard. I thought it was an abandoned place because of the messily strewn trash, but seeing the word ‘Junk,’ it made sense.

In movies, they always deal with hostages in places like this too…

Only now did I feel a sudden surge of fear. But you never know until you try. If I’m going to die anyway, I should at least make an attempt so I won’t feel wronged. I must not die yet.

‘I miss you, Seoin.’

‘Me too. See you soon.’

I had to say hello to Gi Seoin, who would be waiting for me. Whether it was a greeting of joy or a final goodbye.

Mister Taksu, who had gone inside the fence, reappeared and approached the car. I thought he was going to get into the driver’s seat, but he tapped on the back window. it was a signal to come out.

The man who was sitting next to the one aiming the knife at me went outside. And soon, my backseat door also opened.

“Don’t try anything funny. It’ll stop being fun,” the man in the back who had warned me slowly pulled the knife away and got out of the car. The passenger door opened. Three men, including Mister Taksu, surrounded the door. The knife blade was aimed at my neck again.

“Put your hands up.”

The guy who had been threatening me all along had an overall very sharp impression. His eyes were slit, he had an aquiline nose, and his lips were extremely thin.

The guy next to him was so fat he looked like he weighed at least 100kg. It’s the skinny and fat duo.

“Get out slowly.”

First, I slowly came out of the car with both hands raised as they ordered. The moment both my feet stepped onto the dirt ground, the fat one grabbed my wrists and bound them behind my back.

As soon as the freedom of my hands was taken away, a sense of urgency arose. Should I have taken the risk and jumped out when the car stopped?

“You’re damn tall. How tall are you?” the skinny one asked me, so I answered.

“181…”

“It’s annoying, so shut up.”

Then why did you ask in the first place?

“His face looks damn annoying too. Did you see?”

“He’s handsome.”

“This? Are your eyes open for business properly, fuck? I look better.”

“In the world of grasshoppers, you might be more handsome.”

“Ah, this pig…”

The skinny one and the fat one were putting on a comedy routine over someone’s life. Regardless of that, I only kept my eye on Mister Taksu, who was walking ahead.

As we stepped inside the fence, scrap metal was piled up like mountains everywhere. In the middle, a single container sat alone like a fortress.

Was it their hideout? No, since the skinny one had grumbled about when they would arrive, it likely wasn’t a hideout. Whether it was a temporarily rented place…

Mister Taksu, who reached the container first, knocked on the door. That meant there was someone inside.

Was it Jeon Juseok?

Soon, seeing the face that appeared from within the open door, I ground my teeth.

As expected, it was Jeon Juseok.

“Hyung-nims, thank you for your hard work.”

The bastard was busy bowing, not even bothering to look at me. The first time he properly faced me was after I was kicked and rolled on the floor as soon as I entered the container. I thought he would at least spit out a curse at me for running away and getting caught after a few days, but he quickly averted his gaze.

“Are you sure this place is okay?”

“Of course, hyung-nim,” Mister Taksu asked, and Jeon Juseok replied. “Since you hyung-nims get tired if you drive for a long time, I looked for a place nearby…”

“Forget it.”

Mister Taksu cut Jeon Juseok off, waving his hand as if he were being noisy. “Hey, give that to him.”

“This?”

“Don’t be clueless.”

“No, I told you I’m in a hurry because I have a spot reserved at the gambling den!”

The grumbling skinny guy approached Jeon Juseok and held out a knife. It was the knife that had been against my neck the whole time.

“Hold it.”

“Pardon? Why this…”

Jeon Juseok seemed flustered. The skinny guy, muttering a curse, placed the knife hilt in Jeon Juseok’s palm and forced him to grip it.

“Since you made a mistake, you take care of it.”

“A-no, you hyung-nims should be the ones to do this. I’m just a punk who doesn’t know anything.”

To think Jeon Juseok would refer to himself as a ‘punk who doesn’t know anything,’ all sorts of things were happening. Judging by his overall expression, it seemed he was also in an unexpected situation.

“Don’t you understand? You made a mistake, so you do it. Did you think you could eat for free after making a mess of things?”

“There’s no way I would think that…”

“So, do it.”

The skinny guy patted Jeon Juseok’s shoulder. “Anyway, didn’t you say you damn well wanted to finish him off all the time?”

“Well, that was true, but…”

Jeon Juseok stared at me. His eyes were filled with fear. He was the one holding the knife, and I was the one tied up, so why was he the one who was afraid? Even though his responsibility in this mess was likely quite significant.

This time, the fat one pushed Jeon Juseok’s back. Jeon Juseok staggered and approached my feet. I looked him straight in the eye.

“Juseok-hyung.”

“…”

“Am I… going to die?”

He couldn’t answer easily. He merely adjusted his grip on the knife hilt. That alone was answer enough. Jeon Juseok had been given the role of killing me.

“But, hyung.”

“…”

“Why?”

“…”

“At least let me know the reason. That way I’ll feel less wronged. You should tell me too, so you’ll feel less guilty later.”

“Shut up, fuck.”

Jeon Juseok wiped the sweat from his forehead. “You’re going to kick the bucket anyway, so what’s the point of hearing the reason. You’re just dying.”

“I haven’t even finished paying back the money I borrowed from you yet. Is it okay if I die?”

As I asked, I checked toward the door.

There was no one there. Jeon Juseok was in front of me, and Mister Taksu and the two guys were leaning against the wall opposite the door.

There didn’t seem to be any special locking mechanism on the door.

“Money…”

For now, since Jeon Juseok seems to be out of his mind…

“Ha, Woo Seungkyung, you stupid brat.”

If I run out with all my might…

“That money, your friend already paid it all back.”

“…What?”

“Gi Seoin paid it all back.”

Gi Seoin…?

“It’s time for you to kick the bucket, so I’ll tell you.”

Jeon Juseok, lowering his waist, grabbed my shoulder. “I’ve really enjoyed the perks thanks to you all this time, Seungkyung. Thanks.”

The tip of the knife blade pointed toward me and thrust upward.

“Goodbye.”