Vol 2 Ch 1

Thud, thud.  

The sound brushing against his ears made him lift his eyelids. The first thing that came into view was a pair of long fingers. Following closely behind was a yellow, rectangular card held in that hand. CEO Jang was tapping the side table with the edge of the card. The ring on his fourth finger, as always, caught his eye.  

Simple, but since he wasn’t a man who normally wore any accessories, the ring kept drawing attention.  

Soon, CEO Jang placed the card on the side table. When the man on the bed sat up, the mattress, which had been sunken in, puffed back up.  

The man left the room, leaving behind money and the rectangular card.  

I only opened my eyes after confirming the door was closed. Normally, I would’ve immediately shoved the money into the safe. But right now, I didn’t even want to look at the safe. I grabbed the sheet that was bundled up on one side of the bed and tightly wrapped it around the safe, covering every inch.  

“……”  

I slowly reached out to the side table and picked up the card. It felt cold. It was a resident registration card. When I first had one forged, the photo section seemed a little raised compared to the rest, but this one was smooth, without any flaws. I probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between this and a real ID.  

Money really is nice, huh? Letting out a breath, I flipped it over. A black fingerprint was stamped in the rectangular box at the bottom. It obviously wasn’t mine.  

Clutching the card, I got up from the bed. I didn’t want to stay here any longer. I couldn’t shake the thought that there had to be more than one CCTV in the room.  

I grabbed whatever clothes I could find and left the hotel, filled with stifling air.  

I placed a piece of bread and a bottle of water on the counter and asked the convenience store clerk for a pack of cigarettes. When the clerk asked for ID, I handed over the resident registration card.  

The clerk, who had always looked at me suspiciously, handed over a pack of cigarettes without a word this time.  

I sat by the window, listlessly, and took a bite of the bread. I couldn’t tell if it had always been this dry or if my mouth was just parched, but either way, the bread was hard to chew.  

In the end, I put the bread down and looked out the window. The weather was strangely sunny. The bright sunlight stung my eyes. My eyelids, which were unusually thin due to the lack of sleep, trembled slightly. I was desperate for sleep, but I didn’t want to return to that dreadful room. It was no different from a prison without bars.  

“……”  

Last night, I had finally managed to get out from under that man after emptying all the cash I had hidden deep in the closet without him knowing. He was truly a vicious and persistent man.  

The convenience store door chimed as Lee Hyewon entered. Upon seeing me, she flinched but then pretended not to notice and walked further inside.  

After finishing her purchase, she also approached the window. She sat on a chair slightly away from me, unwrapped a kimbap, and began eating. Her hands moved rather hastily over the wrapping paper. She seemed eager to finish quickly and leave.  

Cough, cough.  

As expected, Lee Hyewon suddenly started coughing while eating the kimbap. Cough, cough. Her coughing didn’t stop, so I opened my water bottle and pushed it toward her. She grabbed the bottle, thumping her chest, and tipped her head back, gulping down the water.  

The coughing gradually subsided. Seemingly calmer, she spoke to me in a small voice.  

“…Thank you.”  

“…Yeah.”  

Then there was silence again. As if she had lost her appetite, she neatly folded the kimbap and threw it into the trash.  

“…Excuse me.”  

“Yes…?”  

Lee Hyewon whipped her head toward me, looking startled. Her eyes were slightly wide. She seemed surprised since it was the first time I had initiated a conversation.  

“Lee Jin, Lee Jinseok….”  

I trailed off, unsure of what to call him. Catching on to my hesitation, which was unusual for me, she quickly replied.  

“Oh, Jinseok oppa?”  

“…Yes, him.”  

“He’s much better now. I was worried since he looked so pale for a few days.”  

“…I see.”  

“But I guess he’s still not in a condition to handle any schedules yet. I filled in for him a few times.”  

For some reason, her face lit up as she talked about it. She even gave me a cheerful smile. I, dumbly, sighed and turned my head back to look out the window.  

I could feel her glancing at me from the side. She seemed like she had something to say. Her lips kept twitching, and eventually, she spoke in a cautious tone.  

“Are you a college student?”  

“…Oh.”  

I nodded slightly, and she asked,  

“Isn’t it time for you to go back to school soon?”  

There was a brief pause in the conversation. Has it really been that long already? While I was lost in such trivial thoughts, she added,  

“Someone who used to greet me is leaving soon. Said they’re going back to school.”  

There was a faint hint of bitterness in her tone. Lee Hyewon had once said she would leave this place once she earned enough for her tuition. I quietly asked with heavy lips,  

“…Aren’t you going back?”  

She looked at me. Slowly blinking, she replied,  

“No.”

Mmm, I cleared my throat softly. My lips parted, and I muttered in a flat tone, “Me too.”

…It’s not that I won’t go back, but that I can’t. A group of people passed by outside the window, laughing and chatting in clusters. The smiles on their faces showed just how much fun they were having. 

Just one window. Only this thin window between us. Why does this golf course, which offers them an escape, feel like a grave to me?

***

It was already late at night. The hotel was so quiet that even the ticking of the clock sounded loud. I had no choice but to turn on the television in the room. I didn’t even want to look at the TV, but it was the only thing making any noise.

Leaning against the sofa, I stared blankly at the screen when a sound from the hallway caught my attention. Step by step, the sound of the shoe echoed. It was faint at first, barely making the ground tremble, but it grew louder with each passing second.

Thud. The footsteps stopped right in front of my room. Startled, I jumped off the sofa as I had been watching the door, half expecting something.

Beep. The card key made its electronic sound, and without any warning, CEO Jang barged in.

“……”

He walked in, throwing his jacket toward me as he did. Without thinking, I reached out and caught it. He strode towards the bathroom, unbuttoning his shirt one button at a time. His movements were concise but heavy. The man was full of intensity, even in the simplest gestures. After pulling his shirt off, he cleared his throat and muttered to himself, “I thought you’d just throw it away.”

His gaze was fixed behind me. I didn’t have to turn around to know exactly what he was looking at. It was too obvious.

“…I figured it wouldn’t just stay stuck in the safe forever.”

CEO Jang raised an eyebrow in mild surprise before letting it fall again.

“Good thing you’re not as dumb as I thought.”

I stared down at my toes. So it’s a good thing I’m not as dumb as he thought, huh? I wished he’d find it unfortunate instead. His gaze left me for a moment and landed on the television I’d been mindlessly watching earlier.

On the screen, some celebrities were laughing and chatting on a variety show. CEO Jang let out a quiet, deflated sigh.

“Living the good life, huh.”

His words were drawn out, like a stretched thread. Now that I looked, the tiredness clung to his face like a shadow today. I gripped his jacket tightly and cast my eyes down at the floor.

…CEO Jang, looking exhausted?

It was almost absurd whenever he showed these rare glimpses of humanity. Any demon reading through his records would be left speechless. And yet, he had the nerve to pretend to be human. The only human version of CEO Jang was a dead one.

As I silently cursed him in my head, CEO Jang undid his watch and muttered, “We have somewhere to go. Get ready.”

Leaving that one line, he tossed his watch onto the pile of clothes and disappeared into the bathroom.

Tick, tick. His watch told me it was nearly midnight. Where on earth could we be going at this hour?

I looked down at the jacket in my hands before shoving it into the laundry basket. I walked over to the closet, opened the door, and hesitated. My hand aimlessly brushed over the clothes.

“……”

What should I even wear? I had no idea. It was the first time CEO Jang had taken me out.

There were only a few places he’d take me at this time of night. At most, it’d be some sleazy club or a shady bar. Was he planning to go to a bar? Not exactly my scene, but for a man, those kinds of places suited him—places filled with alcohol and indulgence.

I didn’t know why he wanted to take me to a place like that, but if he said we were going, I had to at least pretend to go along with it.

I pulled out a striped shirt and a pair of slacks. It didn’t seem fitting for wherever CEO Jang was taking me, but no matter where we went, this outfit seemed the safest bet.

As I closed the closet door and buttoned up my shirt, CEO Jang emerged from the shower in a bathrobe.

“……”

He scanned my outfit with an unreadable expression, then walked over to the closet and picked out something else. When he untied the robe’s belt around his waist, I quickly turned my head, startled.

We left the hotel together, with CEO Jang now in a light shirt and dark trousers. A man was waiting for us in the lobby, leaning against a black car. It was the same guy who had installed the safe in my room.

As soon as he saw us, he rushed over and bowed, then quickly opened the back door. He seemed skilled at serving others, as if it was second nature to him.

“Sir, should we head to Yeyang-gwan?”

CEO Jang remained silent. His subordinate, apparently accustomed to it, closed his mouth and drove quietly. I turned my gaze to the window. Yeyang-gwan. I didn’t know what kind of place it was, but the name alone reeked of a red-light district.

The car fell into complete silence. It sped through a remote mountain road. It was so out of the way that, unless you ventured into town, you’d rarely see any people. I’d heard all of this from Lee Haewon. Lost in thought, staring out the window, I snapped out of it at the sound of a voice breaking the silence.

“We’ve arrived.”

I had expected neon signs or dim lanterns glowing seductively in some shady part of town, but contrary to my expectations, we arrived at a brightly lit place, even at this late hour. The sign was written in Japanese, so I couldn’t read it, but it probably said “Yeyang-gwan.”

Still bewildered by the sight of the building outside the window, CEO Jang’s subordinate opened the door for me. As I stepped out of the car, he bowed slightly.

“Enjoy your meal.”

The man walked ahead of me and entered the building. Inside, apart from a few people exchanging drinks, it was practically empty. So, the place I had mistaken for some sleazy establishment turned out to be a high-end Japanese restaurant. On one hand, I felt relieved, but on the other, I was confused. Why had he brought me here?

“Oh, CEO Jang!”

A man who seemed to be the owner walked over to greet CEO Jang personally. The man, putting on a friendly act, glanced at me and asked if he had brought me along. CEO Jang simply gave a dignified smile, avoiding the question without a word.

Fortunately, the owner didn’t press further. He merely laughed heartily and gave instructions to a staff member setting up a tray.

“Show the CEO to the private room.”

“Yes, I’ll guide you to the inner room.”

The staff member in charge of leading us opened the sliding paper door with both hands and ushered us inside. The interior was quite spacious, and the table was much larger and wider than the others, as if it were reserved for VIPs.

The staff set the tableware on the white-clothed table. CEO Jang took a seat first and gestured for me to sit across from him.

“Sit down.”

I walked over slowly and took the seat across from him. It seemed like they had reserved the place in advance since the staff didn’t even take an order, just saying, “The food will be out soon,” before disappearing.

CEO Jang started talking without being asked.

“I’m hungry.”

“……”

“I spent the whole day working to make sure Suwon gets paid.”

The man let out that nonsense with a sly smile tugging at one corner of his mouth.

Soon, the door slid open with a sound. The staff, pushing a tray, entered, saying, “Excuse me.” CEO Jang fell silent for a moment, and I clenched my hands tightly under the table.

Payment. If the timing had been just a little off, the staff might have overheard that word.

One by one, plates were placed on the white table I had been staring at absentmindedly. There were beautifully arranged side dishes and sashimi, all lavishly spread across the plates. And it wasn’t just one type of sashimi; there were quite a few. Some of the fish were types I had never seen before. The kind of expensive sashimi you’d never get to eat unless it was a day like today.

Under normal circumstances, this would’ve caught my eye.

After the staff left, CEO Jang picked up a piece of sashimi with his gracefully extended fingers holding the chopsticks.

“I’m not really a fan of raw fish, but this place does it well.”

Why does he keep spouting unnecessary words? Does he really think I can sit here across from him and eat properly while looking at his face—the same guy who installed CCTV in my room under the pretext of monitoring me?

I tried to keep my tone as neutral as possible while maintaining formality.

“I’ve already eaten.”

“What did you eat?”

He asked lightly, almost as if passing by the question.

“Did you pick at another piece of bread?”

The man watched me closely as I failed to come up with a response, moving his jaw slowly and deliberately. Then, he put down his chopsticks, rinsed his mouth with water, and quietly called my name. His calm voice lightly brushed against the paper door.

“Suwon.”

I responded while staring at the rim of the plate. Now that I thought about it, I had eaten the bread yesterday, when I met Lee Haewon. So today, I hadn’t eaten anything at all.

“…Yes.”

“You’re not even looking at me, huh?”

CEO Jang set down his water glass and leaned toward me. As his body loomed closer, I instinctively leaned back. He whispered.

“If someone saw this, they’d think your name wasn’t Suwon.”

“……”

“Do you really think it’s a good idea to be so obvious?”

CEO Jang then leaned back in his chair and poured the sake that had come with the meal into a small cup. As he sipped the clear liquid, he suddenly asked an unexpected question.

“You’re upset, aren’t you?”

His question caught me off guard. I lifted my uneasy gaze and met his eyes. Contrary to what I expected, CEO Jang’s face wore a surprisingly amused expression. He seemed more relaxed than when he first walked in.

“No, I’m not.”

Upset, huh? The emotions I was feeling weren’t quite as simple as that. How could this unpleasant, nauseating feeling be so easily summed up as “upset”? CEO Jang tilted his head with a thoughtful hum.

“Even people who keep dogs…”

Then he suddenly started talking about “people who keep dogs.” I had no idea where this was going, so I just stayed silent.

“They say they’re worried about leaving the dog home alone, so they set up cameras and stuff.”

“……”

“But the dog never complains, apparently.”

It was as if he were saying, “Other people’s dogs are like that, so why aren’t you?” His tone was reproachful.

“If other dog owners do it and I don’t, I’d be at a loss, right?”

Watching this man spout such madness, my body began to tremble. My eyelids, half-shut over my eyes, quivered uncontrollably. It must’ve been because I hadn’t eaten properly for days. Or maybe it wasn’t that.

CEO Jang gave a brief chuckle at my face, unable to laugh or cry, and called the staff back in. When asked if there was anything else we needed, CEO Jang ordered whiskey.

The whiskey arrived shortly after. He twisted off the cap and poured the amber liquid into a taller glass than the sake cup.

“With that kind of expression.”

CEO Jang slammed the empty glass down with a loud clink, splashing the yellowish liquid everywhere. It seemed some of it landed on my hand and cheek. He spread his arms wide across the table, leaning in.

“Not only do you go around beating people up.”

My mouth felt dry, the air in the room unbearably arid.

“With that look on your face.”

“……”

“And sitting there cursing me out behind my back, wishing I’d just drop dead.”

“……”

“A brat who still reeks of milk, yet doesn’t even show a hint of being upset when they clearly are.”

He fell silent, watching me for a long while. What more was he planning to say now? My entire body was on edge, veins throbbing wildly as if my heart would leap out of my chest if I so much as opened my mouth. 

CEO Jang finally spoke again, his lips barely moving.

“A guy with no past to speak of, leaving everyone wondering where the hell he came from.”

His sharp, gleaming eyes felt like they were cutting into me. I curled my fingers inward, resting on my thighs. Trying to grip my pants for some sense of control, I found the fabric clung too tightly to my skin. My fingers flailed in the air, seeking something to hold onto.

I scraped at the floor with my hands, realizing there was nothing to grab. I clenched my fist tightly, as if gripping onto nothing. My fingernails dug deep into my palms.

“…Just like you said, sir.”

CEO Jang paused while tilting the whiskey bottle and met my eyes. After a moment of hesitation, he raised his chin slightly. His gestures were as unhurried as ever, the way he poured the drink too, but his gaze fixed on me was as cold and piercing as it could be.

“You’re the one paying me for my services, after all.”

CEO Jang softly repeated the word I’d just said.

“Services.”

The raised arch of his thick eyebrow relaxed, seemingly pleased with the word. He emptied the last of the whiskey into his glass with a few taps on the bottle’s base, and placed it down with a thud. His eyes, now sharply trained on me, silently asked, What about the part you left unsaid?

Swallowing hard, I continued.

“How could I possibly feel offended?”

CEO Jang let out a short laugh, as if amused, and muttered to himself.

“So, you were offended.”

A flash of light-heartedness crossed his dark eyes. To anyone else, his smile might’ve given the impression that he was a carefree person.

Carefree? My brow furrowed. He reeked worse than the stench from a filthy gutter.

“……”

I didn’t bother to deny it. He didn’t react the way I expected, either. I’d anticipated him blowing up, ready to mock me for daring to feel insulted, but instead, he was surprisingly unbothered.

“Exactly.”

For some reason, he agreed with me, lifting the sake bottle. He poured it into my glass.

“It’s in your best interest to cooperate with me, right? If you don’t eat here, you’re the one losing out.”

“……”

“Why do you think dogs lie down and lick their owners’ hands?”

When I didn’t answer, he shrugged his broad shoulders and continued.

“It’s because they expect to get something out of it.”

Apparently, the concept of affection without an exchange wasn’t part of his vocabulary.

“I just wish you’d be as smart as the dogs.”

CEO Jang smoothly insulted me with a smile, then added with a laugh.

“Who knows, if you behave nicely, I might give you even more.”

He pushed the sake glass brimming with alcohol towards me. I stared at the swirling liquid for a while, imagining what it would be like to throw it in his face and storm out. The thrill of that fantasy was short-lived. I couldn’t turn it into reality, too afraid of the repercussions that would follow. Not moving a muscle, I finally muttered.

“I’ll have whiskey instead.”

CEO Jang’s eyes gleamed with amusement. Just as he said, the only one who’d suffer by refusing to eat was me, so I decided to go along with his words, playing into his promise of getting more if I behaved.