Vol 2 Ch 6

After spending the night wasting his stamina on me, CEO Jang sat up in bed at dawn, stirred by a knock at the door. Though I could feel his heated gaze burning into me, I kept my eyes shut, pretending to sleep.

Soon, the mattress beside me rose as the weight of his body lifted. I heard the soft shuffle of slippers, then the sound of a shower running. After a brief wash, he dressed and moved toward the door. From beyond, I could hear the voice of one of his subordinates.

“CEO, I’ve been waiting for you.”

The calm voice was thick with exhaustion. Without a hint of sympathy, CEO Jang responded in his usual, detached tone.

“You should’ve gone home by now.”

The door closed with a loud thud, leaving behind his shameless comment. I opened my eyes quietly in the darkness. The spot between my legs, where he had ravaged me, was still throbbing with heat. It felt like my insides were swollen and about to burst.

The aftereffects were worse than usual this time. Unable to lie on my back, I curled up on my side like a shrimp. As the silence settled around me, my thoughts once again drifted toward a familiar, isolating darkness.

There was no one I could call for help to get out of here. I had made sure never to form personal connections with any of the clients or employees in this place.

The only person I could think of was Lee Jinseok. But I shook my head, quickly dismissing the thought. Lee Jinseok wasn’t an option. The moment I asked him for my ID, word had already gotten back to CEO Jang. Besides, I didn’t want to burden him any further.

Then what should I do…? I raised a pale hand to clutch my head. My mind was a tangled mess. The fact that I couldn’t even secure a way out of here seemed absurd. It felt like an insurmountable wall was blocking my path.

The unsettling anxiety gnawed at me, causing my hands to dampen with sweat, and a chill ran through my ribs. Whenever I felt this weak, both mentally and physically, he would always show up. Sensing something eerie behind me, I turned around slowly. Of course, there it was again—another hallucination. A blood-soaked figure, arms limp, swayed back and forth. I sighed, clutching the blanket tightly in my hands. I wanted to turn on the lights, but I knew that would only make its form more vivid. So instead, I tightly closed my eyes.

Even after all this time, I wasn’t tired of seeing it.

CEO Jang, who had disappeared somewhere all night, called me to room 420. He was sitting on the sofa, legs crossed, in a new suit. On the table in front of him, there were traces of others who had been there before. Two staff members in uniforms were busily cleaning the table.

When CEO Jang saw me enter, he waved me over as if calling a dog.

“Come here.”

I tried my best not to show how uncomfortable I felt as I approached him. He rested his chin on his hand, watching me walk, then let out a small, mocking laugh. I silently cursed him under my breath.

CEO Jang snapped his fingers and called over one of the staff members. The employee, who had been working diligently with a straight posture, stiffened at his gesture and approached.

“Bring that tray over here,” Jang gestured with his chin.

The employee, trained well, picked up the tray and placed it on the table.

“Here you go.”

The familiar glance of the staff member brushed past me briefly before pulling away. I pretended not to notice, staring blankly at the tray the employee had set down. On it was a dish covered by a stainless steel food cover. I had no idea what was inside, nor did I care.

“What are you waiting for? Open it.”

At his words, I reached out and lifted the food cover from the dish. Instead of some repulsive pasta, there was a watch case with an elegant seal embossed on it. I slowly reached for the case, flipping it open with my thumb. With a soft click, the case opened, revealing a watch that looked expensive at first glance. I didn’t dare touch it, and instead closed the case and placed it back on the table.

“You don’t seem too excited about it,” Jang remarked indifferently, looking at me with less interest than when he had watched me walk awkwardly as if I’d just had a circumcision.

“I thought you’d finally developed a taste for money,” he clicked his tongue.

He tapped a cigarette pack lazily and put a cigarette in his mouth. Instead of lighting it, he chewed on the filter, watching me intently. His mysterious gaze made me swallow hard.

Unconsciously, I took a step back, bumping into a passing staff member.

Crash! The bottles on the tray the employee was carrying fell to the floor. The familiar eyes of the staff member—Lee Hyewon—couldn’t hide her shock as she stood frozen, unsure of what to do.

Her uniform was tight and short, making it impossible for her to crouch down. She awkwardly bent over and reached for the broken glass.

I quickly moved to push her hand away gently.

“Sorry, I’ll clean it up.”

“…No, it’s fine.”

“It’s okay, just bring a mop, please.”

Hesitating for a moment, Hyewon left the room. I knelt down and began picking up the larger pieces of glass. A cold voice came from above me.

“Why are you crawling around on your knees like a dog?”

I bit my lower lip and slowly stood up. The air around me felt icy.

“Suwon, put that down and come here.”

I lowered my head and stood before him like a criminal. CEO Jang suddenly smirked.

“Should I get Suwon a skirt too?”

CEO Jang’s hand trailed up my thigh, muttering to himself about the ideal length. His voice turned lewd as he asked, “You seem close to her?”

He even murmured, “She’s pretty,” clearly referring to Hyewon. I lowered my gaze and answered quietly.

“…No.”

The atmosphere made it clear that lying and saying we were close would only make things worse.

“That’s not a good answer,” CEO Jang said, frowning theatrically, as if he felt sorry for my lack of concern.

“She was your junior, wasn’t she? I thought you were often together.”

At his words, I closed my eyes tightly.

“You should take good care of her.”

Right? He asked. I softly responded, “Yes.”

CEO Jang’s hand, which had been resting on my thigh, slid down and patted my rear a couple of times. “Good boy,” he muttered.

The sound of a door opening caught his attention, and his eyes shifted to Hyewon, who had just returned. He smiled at her—charming, but enough to make anyone nearby feel uneasy.

His smooth voice flowed from his relaxed lips.

“My… companion.”

As he said “companion,” CEO Jang gripped my wrist tightly before letting go, leaving a dull pain where his hand had been. I held the wrist he’d grabbed with my other hand. Based on the past, when CEO Jang had grabbed my wrists and ankles countless times, I knew there would be a bruise there soon.

“I’m a bit busy,” he said.

Though the grip had been forceful, his voice lacked the usual intimidating tone. Jang spoke softly, as if he were a kind citizen.

“Can you take care of this instead?”

No matter how harmless he tried to seem, a snake is still a snake. Hyewon turned pale as if she’d been struck with venom. Her legs shook, barely supporting her as she managed to reply, “Yes.”

CEO Jang grabbed my wrist again, pulling me along with irresistible force. My body turned halfway as I hurriedly picked up the watch and was practically dragged after him. CEO  Jang walked over the broken glass without hesitation, his leather shoes crushing the pieces beneath them with a crunch. 

I followed behind, stepping on the shards with the thin soles of my sneakers.

I could feel the stares of the staff burning into the back of my head. It felt like the glass shards were stabbing into my skin, piercing me. My whole body prickled as if I were being poked by needles.

CEO Jang shoved me into the elevator. I stumbled, catching myself on the handrail.

He stepped in behind me, pressed the button for the penthouse, and casually folded his arms. His narrow eyes criticized the expression on my face. The whites of his eyes, stark against his dark pupils, made them seem even darker.

“What’s with the look on your face?”

His steady voice reverberated thinly against the walls of the elevator. A wave of disgust shot down my spine, making my skin crawl. Goosebumps appeared on the back of my hand.

I hated how his voice echoed in such a confined space. The low resonance of his voice seemed to press against not just my skin but deep into my very being. I covered my wrist with my other hand and took a step back, only to feel the cold wall behind me.

“I went through the trouble of buying you a present, Suwon.”

“…….”

“Come to think of it.”

CEO Jang’s sharp eyes lazily swept over my appearance. His piercing gaze started at my feet, moving upward to my waist, then chest. His eyes lingered particularly long on my chest, and soon after, a crooked sneer formed on his well-shaped lips. He slightly parted those venom-coated lips.

“Everything you’re wearing right now… I bought it all with my money.”

His eyes narrowed. He twisted his lips, clearly displeased that I didn’t offer any gratitude after all the money he spent.

“Well, at least the wrapping is pretty. It should be satisfying to unwrap.”

He treated me like I was nothing more than a well-packaged piece of chocolate. Something he could unwrap and devour whenever he pleased, like a convenient and disposable snack—or perhaps just a simple amusement. 

I resolved not to be shaken by his words anymore. After all, everything CEO Jang said was just filth anyway. Hoping my disdain didn’t show, I bowed my head slightly.

“…Yes, thank you.”

“I thought you were just stupid, but you sure know how to understand compliments, huh?”

…Keep talking. As soon as I got what I wanted, I’d leave him behind and never breathe the same air again. And when I hear that he finally dropped dead one day, I’d bring a pack of cigarettes and a lighter to his grave, pretending to light one, and then I’d burn the whole mound down.

I hoped that, at the very least, in death, he wouldn’t find any peace. CEO Jang lifted the corner of his lips into a sensitive smile. I smiled back at him.

The smile disappeared from his smooth face almost immediately. He always reacted like this when I smiled back, as if he had just witnessed something disgusting.

“……”

Suddenly, his face hardened, and he shoved me against the elevator wall. I barely had a second to react as my back hit the wall and bounced off before he grabbed the back of my neck. Like a predator, he opened his mouth wide and devoured me. He bit down on my lips, dry and harsh, chewing at my throat as if he wanted to tear me apart.

The faint scent of his cologne, lingering on his chest, wafted into my nose. This was his attitude for his clients. …Just last night, we had been intimate again. While I rested uncomfortably, CEO Jang had gone out to work. When we got back to the room, he’d take off that shirt, shower, and press his solid skin against mine. He would either push down from above or lift up from below. 

***

Despite how it felt like this day would last forever, morning came as it always did.

I packed the cash I had set aside and put it into the safe.

The convenience store was empty. Ignoring the half-hearted greeting of the clerk, I wandered a bit instead of heading straight for the ATM machine, which had been my original destination. The store was quiet, and the few customers there were busy talking among themselves.

I glanced at the blind spot mirror above my head. The clerk at the counter, staring at their phone, yawned with their mouth wide open—bored to death. It was a familiar face.

Nobody was paying any attention to me. Confirming that, I carefully took the bills I had brought and put them into the ATM.

I acted cautiously and discreetly, afraid someone might see. The machine sucked in the money like a vacuum, and a message appeared on the screen, 

[Transfer complete. Thank you for using our service.]

I stared at it in silence for a while.

“……”

It felt incredibly empty. I had lost the weight of the cash in my hands so easily. The stack of bills had slipped through my fingers like a handful of sand.

It wasn’t like the money had gone to waste. At least some of my father’s debt would be reduced. But even so, I couldn’t shake the feeling of futility. A cold breeze seemed to pass through the space where I had held that cash to my chest.

The screen blinked for a moment before returning to the start screen. Even then, I couldn’t move, standing there as if broken, until a voice behind me startled me back to reality.

“Excuse me.”

I quickly stepped aside. The woman standing behind me glanced at me curiously, tilting her head.

I hurried away, almost fleeing, and headed to the smoking area. Dropping into a chair, I rubbed my face with both hands. Sunlight poured through the window, warming the top of my head and the back of my neck. I felt like all my senses were shutting down. My head was a mess, and my body felt drained. I fumbled for a cigarette in my pocket and put it between my lips. Inhaling deeply, I tried to fill the emptiness inside with smoke.

The noise around me buzzed in my ears. Amidst the haze, a high-pitched voice cut through.

“Hello.”

At first, I didn’t think they were talking to me. I barely knew anyone here, and I was sure that even Lee Hyewon wouldn’t approach me after what happened yesterday.

“You haven’t been coming by lately.”

The high-pitched voice was clearer this time. It was a familiar voice.

Slowly, I lifted my head. How long had she been there? Lee Hyewon was sitting next to me, basking in the afternoon warmth. She smiled at me with the same expression as always, her brown hair catching the sunlight and sparkling.

For a moment, I was speechless, just staring at her. Judging by the still-burning cigarette butt in front of her, she had arrived before me. I had been so out of it that I hadn’t even noticed.

…I had assumed she would avoid me. After seeing me like that yesterday. But she approached me as if nothing had happened, with the same smile on her face.

“I thought you’d never come back.”

The face I saw in the elevator mirror yesterday was pitiful. After a sleepless night, I looked pale, with dark circles under my eyes. I looked like a living corpse, like I could be buried without anyone noticing. All it would take was for someone to cover me with dirt, and that would be my grave.

Even seeing me in such a state, she acted like nothing was wrong and casually brought up what had happened yesterday.

“Thank you for yesterday.”

Lee Hyewon smiled again at me, who could only stare blankly at her. She covered her lips with the back of her hand and whispered softly.

“I was really in a tough spot.”

“……”

“I don’t know why I get so nervous just because we run into each other every now and then.”

Lee Hyewon was still chatty, and just as oblivious as ever. Exactly the same as always. But suddenly, she seemed unfamiliar to me. She must have heard it, what CEO Jang said outside the door.

‘Does Mr. Seo Suwon wear skirts too?’

The vivid image of CEO Jang’s face faded, and slowly, it was replaced by Lee Hyewon’s. 

For a moment, I squinted from the brightness. The sun was too glaring, and I couldn’t see her face clearly.

“He’s scary, but he tips so well.”

“……”

“Don’t you think the staff practically fight over who gets to go in when they hear CEO Jang is there?”

Her eyes darted quickly to my wrist. Instinctively, I pulled the sleeve of my shirt down further, hiding the bruises and marks wrapped around my wrist like a watch.

They were all from that bastard. He had clutched my right wrist all night, gnawing at it like a beast. And he had the audacity to say, “Why don’t you cover it up? You’ll just have to wear a watch from now on.”

Before I realized it, I had smoked the cigarette down to the filter. I stubbed it out in the ashtray, hearing the soft hiss of the embers going out. Watching the flickering red tip of the cigarette fade, I heard her quiet voice.

“…Hey.”

“……”

“That watch you got yesterday…”

My wrist, the area where CEO Jang had grabbed me, was throbbing, the white bone hidden beneath the thin skin screaming in pain. The woman’s slightly darkened lips moved.

“Isn’t that really expensive?”

I couldn’t immediately interpret what she was saying.

“They say it’s about the price of a small car.”

Lee Hyewon leaned toward me. As she stepped into the shade, the color of her eyes, which had almost faded in the light, returned to normal.

Even though the woman had suddenly come closer, all I could do was stand there, slightly parting my lips. It was as if I had been hit on the back of the head with a blunt object, and a numb sensation pierced through my mind.

She smiled with her now darkened eyes, devoid of malice. Even her gaze, which swept over my clothes, drenched in CEO Jang’s money, had no ill intent. It was just the fleeting greed that every human harbors, momentarily surfacing in her eyes.

I was rather shocked. What came out of Lee Hyewon’s lips and gaze was unexpected. My lower lip became dry. I should have known. It was only natural, and being in this place, it made no sense not to know the way things worked here.

…Maybe I had hoped not to know.

The fragile ember that had been barely clinging to life made a dying sizzling sound.