PAX 5

“I guess you’re not a bird-brain after all, even if your name is Pigeon.”

During our conversation, Ahn Yutan hadn’t stopped shaking my hand.

“I’ve heard a lot about you. Since you’re such a celebrity.”

“Is that so?”

“Is your mom and dad doing well?”

“Yes.”

“Good. That everyone is safe. What a relief, huh? Don’t you think?”

I had no idea what he wanted me to say.

Ahn Yutan smiled broadly and stared straight at me. The speed of his hand-shaking became faster and more violent.

I thought I’d take the chance to pull my hand away, but perhaps sensing it, Ahn Yutan squeezed his grip tighter and pulled me toward him.

“The title of today’s meeting is.”

Ahn Yutan leaned his face in, bringing our joined hands against his chest.

“‘A secret summit between the number twos.’”

What is he talking about?

“You and me. We’re both number twos, right? You’re the Pachulso family’s number two. I’m the Guardians’ number two.”

“I am not a number two.”

I said, looking at Ahn Yutan’s brow.

“Oh, really?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Ahn Yutan still had my hand tightly gripped against his chest. I tried to pull my hand away when his grip seemed to loosen, but he grabbed it again like he was going to crush my hand.

“Because there is no number one or number two at Pachulso.”

“Your mom and dad there are the number ones, aren’t they? Joint number ones.”

“They are just my parents. Even if people call them directors, we don’t think of our parents as number ones or bosses. So, there is no number two either.”

“Oh, that’s how it was?”

Ahn Yutan made a comically disappointed face, then threw my hand aside and straightened his back. My captured hand felt numb.

“Hey, he says he’s not a number two.”

Ahn Yutan shouted toward the shade. The white-clad jailer was standing there, I don’t know when he had come out, and both of them looked a bit flustered.

“He says there isn’t even a number one at the Pachulso family.”

“No, that couple is the number on—ack!”

The black-clad jailer was saying something, but the junk bicycle flew toward them. The two jailers shouted as they jumped to either side, and the bicycle hit the wall they had been leaning against before falling to the ground.

It was surprising that the piece of junk still held its shape.

“Why did you bring a kid from a family that doesn’t even have a number one?”

As Ahn Yutan headed toward them, the two jailers scurried over to me.

“No, hyung! That couple is definitely number one! Hey, you son of a bitch, you are the number two. Can’t you talk straight?”

The black-clad jailer came up beside me and glared.

“We don’t have such things as….”

The moment I saw the bicycle flying toward me, I shut my mouth and quickly rolled to the side. The jailers scattered to both sides as well.

The bicycle crashed, tangling into the chair I had been sitting on. Only then did the bicycle parts fall off, break, and roll away.

“Hyung, wait a second! I’ll try to coax him!”

“I told you I’d take responsibility and make him admit he’s the number two!”

The jailers who had fled far away yelped as they came toward me. They were saying things like that with a person standing right in front of them.

Since I didn’t know what kind of “coaxing” they meant, I sneaked to the side as the jailers got closer.

“No, no.”

Ahn Yutan, standing under the shade, waved his hand in the air. The jailers stood stock-still.

“How were you planning to coax him? By pulling out his live teeth and poking under his fingernails?”

What the hell is he talking about?

“You can’t do that. You can’t touch the Pigeon. You have to follow the rules.”

The guy saying that was the same one who had just thrown a bicycle at the chair I was sitting on. That hunk of rusted scrap metal had flown precisely and embedded itself into the chair.

As Ahn Yutan, who had walked out of the shade with one hand in his pocket, picked up the overturned chair, I saw the jailers behind him flinch. I, of course, was ready to dodge immediately if needed.

Ahn Yutan dragged the chair to the shade, making a tremendously loud noise, then placed it on the floor and sat down.

“Come over here. It’s hot.”

Ahn Yutan gestured while looking at me.

When will I be able to get out of here? I started getting annoyed, but I walked into the shade.

“Come closer. Let’s talk.”

“As I said before, there is no number one or number two at Pachulso….”

“Closer.”

Just in case, I went and stood near his left leg, the one that wasn’t titanium. Based on this person’s behavior so far, I could easily imagine him suddenly pulling off that prosthetic leg to use as a weapon. Or maybe kicking someone in the balls with that foot. I suppose the titanium leg would be more powerful.

Ahn Yutan sat with his arms crossed and legs spread wide, staring at me.

“So, you’re saying there’s no hierarchy among you guys?”

“Yes.”

“Then we can just make one now.”

“…Yes?”

“It’s simple. What I need is the Pachulso family’s number two, but you say there isn’t one. Then you can just be the number two. From now on, you’ll be the Pachulso family’s number two, and we’ll have a secret summit.”

Why is he doing this? Why would there need to be a secret summit between a Pachulso Pigeon and Ahn Juik’s son?

“Got it? So, let’s go with that.”

“Do you mean you have a message to deliver?”

“To whom.”

“The Pachulso directors.”

“I have no business with your mom and dad.”

“Then I have no reason to be here, either.”

“Why not?”

“I only deliver messages.”

“Ah….”

Ahn Yutan slowly nodded, looking like someone who had just reached a great realization, then suddenly stopped.

“Are you explaining that because you think I wouldn’t know that?”

There was a bit of that, but I felt like I shouldn’t tell the truth.

I looked at Ahn Yutan for a moment.

“That’s not….”

“Hey, I know what kind of work a Pigeon does. Do you think I approached you without knowing that? Do you think I’m a bird-brain like you, you son of a bitch?”

Many people call stupid people “bird-brains” without knowing how smart birds actually are, just using the expression out of habit. Usually, people who talk this habitually have the characteristic of not knowing how to think for themselves. So, I should pretend to be moderately ignorant and flatter him.

“Yes. I am a bird-brain.”

“That’s why you can’t even be a number two and are just doing Pigeon work.”

“You’re right.”

You’re right about everything, so hurry up and let me go.

Ahn Yutan suddenly laughed, “Heh heh.”

“I’ll let it slide since you know your place.”

“Yes. Well then….”

“The first and last agenda item of today’s secret summit is.”

I was saying goodbye to leave, but Ahn Yutan started rambling in earnest.

“You’re going to eliminate someone.”

I looked at Ahn Yutan again for a while.

Pachulso also receives requests for contract killings, so it’s not exactly a surprising thing. It’s just that since I started the Pigeon job, I’m no longer the person who does that.

Still, I can pass the request on since another cleaning helper could do it.

“I will tell the directors.”

“No. Don’t tell them. You handle it. Do it yourself, or order someone reliable in the family to do it.”

Why the fuck is this son of a bitch doing this….

“You’ve killed people before, haven’t you? I know you haven’t just done Pigeon work since you were born.”

“Then I trust you know what work a Pigeon doesn’t do now.”

“Do you want to talk about trust?”

What is he saying?

“As of today, the only person you can trust is me. Guardians’ number two, Ahn Yutan.”

I wanted to ask, “Why?” Truly, purely, “Why the fuck? Why should I trust some asshole I met for the first time today?”

“It means that once you’ve entered my radar, you have to live by leaning on me from now on.”

Why was I caught on that radar? Why me, of all people?

I looked back at my past. What kind of terrible thing did I do?

“Isn’t it great? Flower rain is falling on your future. Try smiling a bit brighter.”

I thought about forcing a smile, but the longer the conversation with Ahn Yutan went on, the more stiff my face became.

“Anyway, don’t worry, I’ll pay. It’s not like I’m asking you to do it for free. Pachulso bastards don’t move unless they get paid, right? You just have to eliminate the one person I point out. Don’t tell your mom and dad.”

I thought for a moment.

“Pachulso does not proceed with work that way.”

“What way?”

“The way where the directors don’t know about it.”

“You’re going to have to proceed that way this time, aren’t you?”