DOGC Ch 11

A fish thrown onto the ground came to mind. Could it really return to the water by flailing so madly? In the end, it would only exhaust its energy, go limp, and rot. Unable to even blink until its white eyes turned yellow.

Seorim, who had been running with all his might, slowly came to a stop. His entire body was soaked through. His clothes, saturated with a mix of melted snow and sweat, felt heavy. As a biting wind swept in, the moisture turned into a chill that cut Seorim to the bone.

“Ugh, heuk.”

Thump. He fell to his knees. The place he had fled to, the place he had run to escape, was surrounded by nothing but pure white snow. There was no city, no paradise, no small glimmer of light, not a single ember of hope.

The plan was over. Seorim had to accept it. That it had failed from the very beginning, before he could even start anything. And that he did not know when another chance might come.

“Heu, heu-eup, eu, fuck……”

Hot tears suddenly welled up and streamed down his cheeks. He did not even think to wipe them away. Lying prostrate on the ground, Seorim wept sorrowfully. No matter how many tears he shed, a fresh wave of sorrow rose up and soaked his entire face.

Even as he cried, the snow did not stop. The relentlessly falling snow tried to cover even Seorim in white. The snow piling up on his back grew heavier, pressing Seorim down. He almost wished to become one with the snow. Just like this, just as he was.

When he clenched his fist, he grabbed a handful of snow. Snow got inside his clothes. He felt like he was going to go crazy because of the snow. Seorim let out a beast-like, desperate cry, as if he were vomiting blood.

“Why, why……. Why!”

God, who had never once looked after me warmly in this shitty life. I asked you to help me just this once.

For the first and last time.

I asked you.

🦅

He did not know how long he had been crying on the snowy forest path. Crying, screaming, and venting his anger changed nothing. The heartless snow did not cease, and his body was still among those cursed trees.

The eyelashes where tears had gathered froze and formed a white frost. When he blinked, the ice shattered pfft and scattered like flower petals.

He thought it would be better to just die right here. And so Seorim did not move a muscle, letting the snow fall on him. But he could not die. His breath would not stop.

He pushed himself up. He turned back. Without any thought, he walked toward where he wanted to go. The sun was setting, and the surroundings gradually grew dark. He did not know with what state of mind he kept moving his feet, but Seorim continued to walk.

As he walked blankly, he smelled the fishy scent of water. Seeing the frozen lake spread out before him, he came to his senses a little.

He had come back in the end. Who was he to think he could run away. Letting out a dry cough, Seorim crawled into the warehouse next to the lake.

As he sat huddled, the outside was completely submerged in darkness. Was anyone looking for him? Did no one care? If he went back, would he be beaten to death?

“Cough, ke-heck.”

He had coughed so much that the inside of his throat stung as if it were on fire. His wet shoulders convulsed on their own, and his body trembled with a shiver.

Cold.

His voice would not come out, but his pale, bloodless lips moved on their own, tracing the word.

Being cold was agonizing. The fact that he could not sleep comfortably despite his body’s fatigue was also tormenting. The constant coughing with no water to drink was also unbearably painful.

It was strange how he was not dying even though various parts of his body were malfunctioning and screaming at the same time.

If I stay like this, will I eventually die?

In his head, he weighed which was better: staying here and dying alone, or going back to the mansion, drinking water, and lying down before dying. Perhaps with the latter, he might not die. He did not know what the chances were, though.

In truth, he did not know about any of that; he was just so cold and sleepy. He was also thirsty. He wanted to scoop up and drink the water in the lake, but it was impossible because it was frozen. He did not want to dip his hands in the water because it was too cold.

“Cold……”

It is cold. Whether his body was cold, his head was cold, or his heart was cold, he could not distinguish one from the other; everything was cold. Seorim, with unfocused eyes, staggered to his feet.

He trudged out of the warehouse. A scene unfolded where a layer of darkness covered the snow-blanketed world. While everything around him was dyed black, only the places where snow had piled up sparkled white.

His unfocused eyes stared at the snow-covered hill before rolling toward the mansion.

I wanted to escape so badly.

One step, he moves closer to the snake that had opened its black maw.

I can’t escape.

Another step, he crawls back into the cage that had confined him.

A cold wind blew, painfully scratching the tear tracks on his cheeks. Unfortunately, the lake was not far from the mansion, and it did not take long for Seorim to push open the large front gate handle.

The scenery of the mansion was not much different from right before he had left. It had only been half a day, so perhaps that was to be expected.

It was quiet. He would have had nothing to say if someone suddenly grabbed him by the hair from behind. Ah, if he wanted to live, should he feign innocence with teary eyes and say he went for a walk and got lost?

Thankfully, he did not encounter anyone by the time he went up the stairs and locked himself back in the prison that had confined him. It felt like he was alone in this large mansion. What on earth was going on?

The thought did not last long. Seorim went into the bathroom, leaned against the sink, and quenched his dry throat to his heart’s content, then collapsed onto the bed. He was not cold anymore. He was not thirsty anymore.

And Seorim fell asleep.

It was a deep sleep, devoid of any dreams. He simply closed his eyes and let go of his consciousness, then briefly regained his senses at dawn. No one woke him. His stomach was empty, but he had no desire whatsoever to eat.

Can a person die in their sleep? Now that he was no longer cold or thirsty, he had no excuse to die, yet Seorim wanted to die. It was ridiculous. If he had wanted to die, he should have stayed buried in that snowfield and not come out.

In truth, he keeps thinking he wants to die even though he does not have the courage to. Seorim, locked in his solitary prison, laughed in self-mockery. And he slept continuously.

Then, in a moment when he briefly opened his eyes, he tossed and turned, dropping his cell phone on the floor. Light bursting from the screen flickered. Seorim, holding onto his hazy consciousness, picked up the cell phone and looked at the screen.

[Seorim, what happened.] 6:31 PM

[Did something happen?] 7:08 PM

[Did things not go well? Please pick up the phone.] 7:15 PM

[It’s almost time for the boat, Seorim.] 7:30 PM

Below the string of text messages were records of several missed calls.

Did his father get on the boat? Did he escape hell all by himself?

[Dad, I’m sorry.] 2:45 AM

After sending the reply, the cell phone remained silent for a very long time. This might really be the last time he ever speaks with his father. Without even seeing him in person, so futilely, as lonely as the snow that falls to the ground and melts away.

“Cough, cough, heu-eu, keo-heok.”

After letting out a convulsive fit of coughing, Seorim was once again seized by the ankle by slumber.

This time, he had a dream.

It was a dream of boarding a boat. He ran out of the hospital and, with a heart that was a little anxious and a little excited, he got on a bus to Pyeongtaek. Arriving at Pyeongtaek Port, he met his father. His father’s face was blurry, as if a painting had been smudged with water, so he could not see it clearly.

He had dinner with his faceless father and boarded the boat. The cargo ship was very different from a regular passenger ship and was uncomfortable, but Seorim’s heart felt lighter than ever. He knew he would not be able to sleep with both legs stretched out while fleeing to another country, but it was good that at least he would not have to spread his legs.

On the boat ride to the Philippines, he talked a lot with his father. About the lives they had lived and how much they had struggled.

His father bowed his head and apologized several times. Together they shared memories of his mother and reminisced about her. They said his mother was such a lovely person, and he heard a great deal about his beloved mother.

‘Seorim.’

‘Yes.’

‘Now that we’re starting fresh, let’s live happily.’

Without hardship, without any worries, doing whatever we want to do.

Happily.

When he opened his eyes, there was no boat. He was not on the sea but on a bed as wide and cold as the sea. Seorim was buried in the blankets and pushed by the sheets, drowning to death. In truth, this place was the inside of depression. That sticky emotion slowly, but surely, crushed Seorim.

“Ah.”

His head was hot. Placing a hand on his forehead, Seorim closed his eyes again.

No matter how much he slept, his eyes kept closing, so maybe he just did not want to see reality. Maybe his body, unable to board the boat, wanted to board it even in a dream.

🦅

He did not know for how many days he had wandered in his dreams.

He thought it would be nice to just die like this, but something like suddenly dying in his sleep never happened. He could not tell how long he had slept, but he repeated a cycle of sleeping for a very long time and then waking up. It was just amazing that no one had woken him up during that time.

Seorim pushed his lying body up and looked out the window. Cruelly, all the snow had melted. On the day he tried to run away from the mansion, it was so cold that even his tears had frozen.

Unlocking the latch, he opened the window slightly. The flesh-cutting chill was nowhere to be found, and a wind that felt cool rustled in.

It felt empty. He could probably walk anywhere he wanted now. He did not know how many hours it would take, though.

What was he supposed to do now that the weather has warmed up, now that the path is visible? It was already over. At this point, the sky was not just resentful, but simply hollow. As always, coincidence, far from helping even a little, only ruined things.

Gurgle, a sound came from his empty stomach, which had been starved for days. He learned for the first time that when a person does not eat for this long, it feels like their intestines are twisting.

Seorim fiddled with his stomach, which was continuously emitting loud noises, and then entered the bathroom. The hot water seemed to clear his head a little.

What do I do from now on?

Seeing as they were not looking for him right away, it seemed nothing had been discovered. In that case, would he have to live by fawning over him and catering to his whims, only to be discarded later? Was that really the only future he could choose?

He roughly dried his wet hair. He did not want to think deeply about anything. He thought that living a life faithful only to satisfying his desires might not be so bad. Eat when he is hungry, sleep when he is sleepy, and his sexual desires will be satisfied even if he does not want them to be.

For now, he wanted to eat something and fill his stomach. Seorim put down the towel he was using to dry his hair and picked up his clothes to wear.

When he opened the door, the mansion felt more disorderly than before he had fallen asleep. It seemed like he could hear conversation from downstairs, and it was strangely noisy.

Seorim tilted his head and slowly went down the stairs. As he got closer to the drawing room, the sound grew louder. To be precise, it was a scream that echoed to the bone, a bellowing shriek.

“I’m going to, fuck, this crazy bastard……!”

It was Chairman Ryu.

His wild thrashing, as if he were vomiting blood, was like that of a demon. It was obvious just by looking that he was not in his right mind. Seorim flinched in surprise and stepped back, then moved into a corner so that the man would not see him. There was no telling what kind of trouble he would get into if he was seen.

While Chairman Ryu walked to a corner of the drawing room, spouting curses, Seorim quickly moved and walked toward the dining room.

When he opened the door, a spectacular scene unfolded. The floor was cluttered with broken plates and glass shards, leaving no room to step, and a few servants were cleaning it up with troubled expressions.

“My, how could he have done such a thing.”

“He’s always been a bit like that. The whole family is.”

Unaware that Seorim had entered, the servants were busy exchanging whispers among themselves.

What on earth is ‘such a thing’?

He wanted to hear a little more. He tried to kill his presence, but a piece of glass on the floor was kicked by the tip of his foot, making a sound. Hearing the clack noise, a servant jumped in surprise, her shoulders flinching.

The eyes of the two servants turned to Seorim at the same time. Since it had come to this, it was better to just ask outright. Seorim calmly met the eyes of the younger-looking female servant.

“What happened?”

The servant’s eyes widened in surprise for a moment, and her expression was flustered, then after a little while, her face flushed slightly. He read a hint of favor in her eyes.

“Well, Master Hyunjun……”

Just as the young servant was about to open her mouth, the older one standing next to her blocked it with her hand. It seemed she would have spoken if left alone, which was a shame.

After watching the servant who gave a sharp look to the younger one who had almost let her tongue slip, Seorim turned his gaze toward the drawing room.

He picked up a piece of bread from the dining table, put it in his mouth, and left the dining room. Did something happen to Ryu Hyunjun? Could it be that he could not keep his promise because of that? What on earth was it?

By the time he reached the drawing room, the bread was all gone. Now, Chairman Ryu was holding a long golf club and smashing everything in sight.

“At my age, huh?”

Crash, bang.

“Because of that bastard! That crazy son of a bitch, Ryu Yeonho!”

Ryu Yeonho’s name came up. Was it him again who caused some trouble to make Chairman Ryu angry? The man in question seemed to be absent from the house.

Well, if he had been home, he probably would not have stood by and watched Chairman Ryu go on a rampage, smashing up the entire mansion.

The mansion that had been strangely quiet until now, the tired-looking Ryu Yeonho, the absent Ryu Hyunjun, the furious Chairman Ryu.

Seorim could not tell what direction all of this was pointing to.

🦅

Several days passed.

On the day Chairman Ryu stormed through the entire mansion on a rampage, he came to the room a few hours later, reeking of alcohol. Seorim thought he was going to have sex, but the man was too busy snoring as he collapsed into sleep.

After that, every night, Chairman Ryu would come in dead drunk and just collapse and sleep next to him. It seemed his mental state was such that he could not bear it without drinking.

Seorim thought he would take his anger out on him, but he seemed to have no capacity for it. Sometimes, he would lament to himself, “What is to become of my life in my old age for it to be like this?”

Ryu Yeonho still did not show his face at all. It was difficult to get any information from Chairman Ryu, who was never in his right mind.

Seorim wanted to know. If there was really no way out for him, if he had to live his life tending to this old man until he died.

However, as each day passed, he gradually began to give up on even this. At least for now, he was not getting hit anywhere, and he was living in a warm place eating delicious food, so maybe that was enough.

When he kissed the wrinkled forehead and whispered false words of love, he felt even the shell of himself that remained crumble away. He was disgusted by his own body fawning over Chairman Ryu just to survive.

Hoping that the drunk old man would doze off again today, Seorim greeted the night.

The door opened not at the usual time of ten thirty, but when it was nearing midnight.

“My baby, what have you been doing?”

He was not drunk today. It was a bad omen. Seorim quickly wiped the troubled look from his face and greeted Chairman Ryu with a bright smile.

“I was wondering when Husband would be home.”

“What a praiseworthy thing to say. You’re the only one I have.”

Chairman Ryu took a step toward the bed. It seemed today was the day he had to fulfill his duty in this house after a long time. The corners of his mouth, forced into a smile, twitched minutely.

“Today, I think I need to devour my baby to live.”

“Really?”

“Of course. My baby’s ass has been lonely from not getting enough affection all this time, hasn’t it.”

A hand, bony like a tree branch, grabbed Seorim’s buttock hard. Despite being old and wrinkled, his grip was strong, making the skin tingle.

Seorim placed his own hand on top of Chairman Ryu’s, gently pushing it away as he spoke.

“Of course. I’ve been lonely all over. Not just my butt.”

“Where were you lonely? Where do you like it? Hmm?”

“Ahaha. That tickles, Husband.”

Chairman Ryu’s hands roamed over various sensitive areas: his side and armpit, his chest, his shoulders. A feeling of disgust welled up at the sensation of bugs crawling on his body, but Seorim giggled as if he could not stand the tickling.

“First, give me a kiss.”

Is selling one’s body really a domain of innate talent? Words he had not even thought of automatically flowed out, flirting with Chairman Ryu.

“Of course, my pretty thing.”

The crimson lips, wrinkled like a sea squirt and carrying the unique earthy smell of an old man, approached. The lips swept across Seorim’s healthy-hued cheek, then took his lower lip, clinging tenaciously.

The moment the tongue entered, a wave of nausea surged up. It seemed his immunity had weakened due to the recent lack of contact. Seorim unknowingly pulled his body back, then hastily let out a laugh.

“Mmph, your tongue, I don’t like it when you suck too hard.”

Before Chairman Ryu could utter a word, Seorim pressed his lips against his again. They share a short kiss, and he pretends to be aroused, exhaling in an exaggerated way, then pulling away, repeating the process. If he acts coquettishly before the other person can make a move, he can at least have some control in the encounter.

After a process of playfully rubbing their lips together, Chairman Ryu abruptly buried his head in the nape of Seorim’s neck. Goosebumps rose wherever the wet tongue passed.

The nape of the neck is generally considered an erogenous zone, but it did not feel good at all. The pheromones Chairman Ryu emitted were similar to the stench from a filthy sewer.

After licking his skin tenaciously, as if trying to taste a melted sugar candy, Chairman Ryu suddenly bit his neck painfully. Seorim let out a moan completely devoid of pleasure.

“Ah, Husband, that hurts……”

This is really dog-like. Why the hell is he making a fuss with foreplay so ostentatiously today?

It was the moment when, out of rising irritation, he turned his head in a different direction.

“……Heut.”

Their eyes met.

Through the slightly ajar door, someone was watching this sexual act. Eyes the color of light brown. The pupils, tinged with an eerie glow, observe this spectacle obsessively, as if not to miss a single moment. To be precise, they were watching Baek Seorim.

Seorim knew the owner of those eyes all too well. It was Ryu Yeonho.

For a moment, it felt like his heart had dropped.

What, is he back at the mansion?

What is he doing standing there? Why is he watching this? What on earth is he thinking.

“Ah, Husband.”

Even while his mouth was letting out moans for Chairman Ryu, Seorim could not take his eyes off Yeonho.

The same was true for the other party. His gaze sweeps over the rounded shoulder line and chest revealed by the slipped down shirt, and he holds Seorim’s gaze. Ryu Yeonho was so ardently observing the scene of his own father and concubine coupling.

‘Pervert.’

Because their gazes were locked, Seorim moved his lips toward Ryu Yeonho, tracing a silent rebuke. As if he understood, he could see him let out a low laugh. To laugh after being insulted, he really was not in his right mind.

“Baby, now you have to take it.”

Chairman Ryu flung off the pants that were hanging on his hips.

Seorim tore his gaze away from Ryu Yeonho and forced a smile, pretending to be happy. For some reason, he did not want to show him the sight of him taking in Chairman Ryu. The revulsion that accompanied the act felt stronger than at any other time.

“Yeees, Husband……”

It was the moment he let out that foolish reply.

Click—.

A sound that was utterly unimaginable, a sound that should never be heard by common sense, cut through the hot air.

Seorim doubted his ears. Immediately after, he had to doubt his own two eyes.

He had come into the room. Ryu Yeonho had.

“You, you, you crazy son of a bitch, what are you doing right now……”

Chairman Ryu’s voice trembled, showing he was just as surprised and flustered. The contrast between his face, red with great fury, and the limp pillar between his sagging groin was ridiculous.

Seorim, too, was no less shocked than Chairman Ryu, even if he did not make a sound. No matter how abnormal someone was, who in the world opens the door and walks in while others are having sex? And during his own father’s tryst, no less.

It felt as if the sound of his beating heart could be heard by others. He could not understand what this meant at all.

Could it be.

The words he had previously said to Ryu Yeonho flashed through his mind. The question of whether he would get him away from Chairman Ryu. Had he come to fulfill that promise?

With a calm expression, Ryu Yeonho walked with heavy steps, past the enraged old man, and sat down on the sofa. His gaze once again turned to Seorim. Seorim, without realizing it, clutched the lapels of his loosened shirt to cover his body.

His face burned, feeling as if that lewd gaze was tracing the scattered bruises on his body. Without taking his eyes off Seorim, Yeonho spoke.

“Continue what you were doing. It’s a nice view.”

He was truly a madman, second to none. As if they could continue anything in this situation.

“You son of a bitch who deserves to die, what gives you the right to come barging in here!”

“It’s not like this is some king’s royal bedchamber. What great thing were you doing?”

“Where did something like this come from? You’ve really lost your mind. If, if you’re going to be crazy, you should at least be crazy in a pleasant way.”

As if he were truly furious to the tips of his hair, Chairman Ryu’s face turned red, then deathly pale, over and over. He began to pick up the clothes he had thrown off and put them on one by one. Seorim could only stare at the scene with wide eyes.

What on earth is happening? Is this really reality and not a dream?

“Where are you going? The kid is sitting right there.”

Chairman Ryu did not even reply to his son’s call and left the room. Carrying his fury with it, the door slammed shut with a loud noise. Seorim’s shoulders trembled shudder at the loud bang, and he then stared blankly at Yeonho.

Yeonho was also sitting and looking back at Seorim. The hot air from right before their tryst was gone, and only a damp silence remained between the two, filling the quiet.

“……Are you crazy?”

Seorim spat out the question that had been in his head all this time.

“Why, I wanted to have some fun too.”

“Is this fun to you?”

“Did you want to do it with my father?”

As if. But he had never imagined it would be stopped in this way. Ryu Yeonho, who had been sitting on the sofa, leisurely approached the edge of the bed where Seorim was sitting.

“Your face has gotten half its size since I last saw you.”

“……”

“What kind of hardship did you go through.”

Unconsciously, Seorim fiddled with his own cheek. Since when did he care about such things to pretend to be so kind? His heart growing troubled, Seorim deliberately looked away and asked.

“You don’t look so good yourself. Ryu Hyunjun too, did something happen?”

“Are you worried about Ryu Hyunjun?”

“I haven’t seen him.”

“You have no eye for people.”

He could never say that the man had been his biggest helper in his escape, but had abandoned that role and disappeared, and that was why he was curious.

As Ryu Yeonho got closer, the smell of the cigarettes he smoked subtly revealed its presence along with him.

“Why would you like a guy like Ryu Hyunjun, calling him kind.”

“I never said I liked him.”

“Then what is it.”

Seorim could feel Ryu Yeonho’s gaze landing stickily on his cheek.

“Does Baek Seorim rub lips with a guy he doesn’t even like, and meet him separately at night?”

“Do you think all we did was rub lips.”

“Then?”

He turned his gaze from the floor to face Ryu Yeonho. He was staring intently at Seorim. His sunken pupils did not even blink once.

A person’s eye color can be this pretty.

A random, irrelevant thought that had nothing to do with the context of the conversation suddenly came to mind, and Seorim bit his lip gently. His mind felt a little more composed.

“The people who approach me all have the same purpose. Ryu Hyunjun, and your father.”

“……”

“You too.”

In the end, they are all the same. Ryu Yeonho is also just a piece of trash wrapped in much fancier wrapping paper than the others. Not a bit different. This person too, in the end, is the same.

Whenever a strange emotion blossomed because of Ryu Yeonho, Seorim would obsessively whisper to himself. It was the same now. This person was rude from the first time they met, he did not return the necklace, he took his body by force, he does not see Baek Seorim as a person.

Yeonho, who had been staring at Seorim for a long while, got up from his seat. He turned around, undid one of the cuff buttons on his dress shirt, and muttered.

“You really have no eye for people.”

Whether it was because Ryu Yeonho was tall, or for some other reason, his movements took up an unusual amount of his field of vision. Seorim quietly followed with his eyes as he closed the door and left the room.

Clack, the force of the door closing was much weaker than Chairman Ryu’s, but the sound echoed more clearly.

It was a strange thing. He did not close it with force, nor did he disappear while thrashing wildly, yet the scene of Ryu Yeonho disappearing was deeply etched in his mind. It was truly an incomprehensible thing.

🦅

A cold wind came in through the crack in the window.

As he lay down, he heard the sound of a car starting outside. It seemed someone was leaving the mansion this late at night, and though there was no basis for it, he felt it was probably Ryu Yeonho. There was really no reason to think that. It just was.

Thanks to him, he did not have to deal with Chairman Ryu. It was funny to feel relieved over something like this. If he were to put down roots and live here, he would have to attend to Chairman Ryu someday. It was pathetic to suddenly feel so uncomfortable about it when he had been living that way just fine until now. The Baek Seorim who did not have to sell his body had shattered into pieces and disappeared days ago.

After the commotion ended, Seorim fell asleep right there on the bed. He slept sweetly, without even dreaming. It felt as if he had closed his eyes and laid down for a very brief moment.

No, perhaps it was not just a feeling. Because Seorim had to wake up without a chance to enjoy his sleep, thanks to someone’s interruption.

The first thing that woke him was the loud noise of the door opening. For some reason, the room that should have been the most private in the mansion had a hell of a lot of visitors today.

“Haa, shiiit. I’m so miserable, how am I supposed to live.”

The second sense to awaken was his sense of smell. A terrible stench of alcohol wafted in. Seorim finally opened his eyes to check who on earth had barged into the room.

A wrinkled face, wine stains on a white dress shirt, a staggering gait. It was Chairman Ryu, drunk as could be. It seemed that after being humiliated by his son, he had gone and chugged a ton of wine.

“Isn’t that right, baby? Huh?”

“Husband.”

“Your husband suffered that dog-like humiliation, and you were just sleeping peacefully?”

He was grabbed by the collar and pulled up. Unfortunately, drunkards were always strong. Chairman Ryu could not have been unaware that Seorim was not at fault for what had happened earlier. However, he was not in a state to think rationally.

Slap—.

Seorim was slapped across the cheek before he could even lift his heavy eyelids. His head snapped to the side, his skull ringing, and his skin burned. It was an excessively violent way to be woken up.

“I’m sorry, Husband.”

“Just blinking your eyes. You were thinking it was refreshing inside, weren’t you? You only know how to say honeyed words. Aren’t you?”

Then what on earth do you want me to do? Why are you taking out your anger on my cheek after being embarrassed by your own son?

It was hard to control his expression since he had just woken up. When he looked at Chairman Ryu with world-weary eyes, another slap flew at him. This time, the inside of his mouth seemed to have burst, and a metallic taste spread on the tip of his tongue.

“This fucker, all the ones I should kill and stomp on are looking down on me.”

“That’s not true……”

“So young and green, but doesn’t know how to respect his elders. The son I have is like that. This is all because he inherited his mother’s bad blood.”

The slumber fled after two slaps. To survive, Seorim fought with the irritation that was boiling up inside him. Would he get hit less if he whimpered pathetically, or would he get hit less if he smiled and fawned over him? It seemed best to prostrate himself as much as possible.

“I was wrong, Husband. I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for. Huh? Tell me honestly. You look down on me too, right? It’s funny, an old man in the back room keeping a concubine at his age? Do you find me pathetic?”

His self-awareness was surprisingly good. He wanted to give him a round of applause. Seorim shook his head back and forth. Still, you’re the motherfucker who lets me eat warm meals and sleep comfortably.

“I didn’t think that.”

“What do you mean you didn’t. Speak up, you fucker!”

This time, he was hit on the head. It was a thought he had when he was hit before, but he was truly strong when hitting others, a sign of how much he had beaten people up throughout his life.

His skull rang with a zing. It felt like his brain was shaking from the impact. Seorim wrapped a hand around his temple and let out an unconscious sigh. And unfortunately, that action was enough to pour oil on Chairman Ryu’s blazing rage.

“You’re sighing. You’re looking down on me too, aren’t you? This won’t do.”

“It’s not like that. I’m sorry.”

“I told you before. You have to stomp them down before they try to climb up.”

Chairman Ryu grabbed Seorim by the hair and dragged him off the bed. Being woken from sleep, slapped, and now having his hair pulled out was truly hellish. Seorim let out a pained groan and was thrown to the floor.

“Husband, don’t do this. I was wrong.”

“What were you wrong about. You did something wrong?”

“That is, for not understanding Husband’s feelings.”

What am I really supposed to answer? What on earth does he want? His frustration was about to burst, and he just wanted to cry his eyes out. Chairman Ryu kicked Seorim’s shoulder a few times as he lay collapsed on the floor.

“None of that nonsensical talk. You. You did something wrong, didn’t you? Right?”

“Ugh, ah, ye-yes?”

“You’re saying you were wrong because you did something wrong. Right, that’s it. You hooked up with that bastard Yeonho after I left, didn’t you?”

He was like a demon who had gone mad with his inferiority complex towards his son. How could one’s thought process flow like this to hate others? While Seorim squeezed his eyes shut in pain, Chairman Ryu climbed on top of the body he had cherished so much.

The back of his head was once again gripped in the old man’s hand. His neck was bent back, and Seorim had to face Chairman Ryu without being able to even open his eyes properly.

“Huh? You’ve been hooking up with him all along, you filthy bastards. Fuck, that’s why he knew the taste of your hole and came in after peeping from outside, right? Coveting what his own father was eating.”

“Ah, heu, euk, it’s not, like, that.”

“Why, was it good to receive a young cock? Did your eyes spin because it tasted better than an old one?”

His eyes were completely crazed. The blood vessels in the whites of his eyes were so pronounced he looked like a dog with rabies. After venting his anger while spraying saliva, Chairman Ryu threw Seorim’s head to the floor as if it were an object.

“Filthy. A thing like you, fuck, a mere concubine. A filthy thing. You too, saying you like Ryu Yeonho.”

Gasp. He could not breathe. Chairman Ryu’s branch-like fingers became a noose, strangling his neck. He parted his lips to gasp for air, but instead, only the sound of his own gasping breath, gasp, tickled his ears.

It was agonizing. Driven by the instinct to live, Seorim struggled, but Chairman Ryu did not budge.

Am I really going to die like this?

“Is it hard? Huh? What’s the point of something not even human feeling hardship.”

“Eu, heu, keo-heok, ke, heck.”

He could not breathe, and when he tried to speak, saliva dribbled down his lips. His head pounded, sending danger signals that this was a major crisis. His vision kept blurring into a hazy white.

A turbulent life. There were many times he had thought he would rather end it. But to meet the end in such an unexpected part of his life. In a locked cage, strangled by the old master who bought him.

Would it be easier if I gave up?

The strength gradually drained from the arms and legs that had been flailing to push Chairman Ryu away. They say that before you die, the good memories of your life flash before your eyes like a revolving lantern, but nothing came to mind. He just wanted to be at ease.

The life in Seorim’s eyes was fading. This is so fucked up. To have to die crushed under an old man until the very last moment.

It was the moment Seorim closed his heavy eyelids.

Thump—.

There was a sound of something dull colliding. Immediately after, as if by a miracle, the pressure choking his neck was released, and air rushed in. With his breath suddenly freed, Seorim coughed violently.

What on earth?

Without even time to think, something heavy collapsed on top of his body. And a warm liquid slid down over his hair and ear. He realized right away after smelling it that it was blood.

“Cough, keck, wh-what.”

To grasp what was happening, Seorim kept blinking his eyes open and shut. As his vision cleared, the person standing behind the collapsed Chairman Ryu came into view.

“You……”

“Hyung-ah.”

It was Yeonwoo.

The little boy was holding a floor lamp as big as his own body, panting heavily. The dark red liquid on the end of the lamp must have been the blood pouring from Chairman Ryu’s head. So shocked, Seorim’s eyes widened.

“You, you, right now, that.”

“H-H-Hyung-ah. I, I-I. Hyung-ah, are you okay? Hyung-ah.”

“I, I’m okay, but.”

Would it have been better not to grasp the situation? Having figured out what had happened, Seorim felt a chill run down his spine and quickly scrambled out from under Chairman Ryu. The old man fell to the floor with a thud, without resistance.

Yeonwoo, despite having committed the act himself, was trembling like an aspen tree. Seorim wrapped his arms around the little boy’s shoulders.

“H-Hyung-ah, I, I, my father……”

“No. You saved me.”

“F-Father, is he dead, i-is he dead?”

At those words, Seorim glanced at Chairman Ryu out of the corner of his eye. Seeing that his back was not rising and falling, it seemed he had died instantly without even closing his eyes. When his eyes met the old man’s wide-open, bluish ones, his heart pounded like crazy.

“I, I, because Father was, hurting Hyung-ah. Hyung-ah, did I kill Father? Is Father dead?”

“No, you……”

The words, “you killed your father,” would not come out of his mouth. This child was the benefactor who had saved his life. And he was also the only bud in this family that could change.

Seorim stared at Chairman Ryu’s corpse, holding his breath, then swallowed hard.

I cannot let this child live his whole life as a murderer. Because you are not broken yet. Because you can still love yourself, and love someone else, and be happy. Therefore…….

“Yeonwoo.”

“U-uh?”

“You didn’t see anything. This is all a dream. Forget it.”

Jumping to his feet, Seorim snatched the lamp from Yeonwoo’s hands. And he began to press his palm firmly onto the handle, leaving his fingerprints.

“You hurry up and go down to your room. Without getting caught by anyone. It’s a game of hide-and-seek.”

“A ga-me?”

“Yes, if you succeed, I’ll play with you a lot. Got it? Hurry up and go.”

Even as he spoke, he clenched his fists to hide his trembling fingers. The bravado of having struck his father’s head with a lamp was gone, and Yeonwoo looked up at Seorim with tear-filled eyes. Seorim looked straight into Yeonwoo’s eyes and repeated several times, as if hypnotizing him. You weren’t here. You didn’t see anything, right? Yeonwoo. Answer me. Yeonwoo’s voice grew increasingly faint.

“Then what about Hyung-ah?”

“Hyung-ah will be fine. Let’s meet tomorrow morning.”

“H-Hyung-ah, Father, what about Father?”

“He’ll be okay.”

Fortunately, the child did not have any blood on him. Seorim carefully pulled Yeonwoo into a hug, making sure the blood on his own clothes did not transfer.

“Thank you for saving me, Yeonwoo.”

“……”

“Hurry and go.”

Whether it is a small child or an animal, even those who do not know the ways of the world have a sixth sense for bad premonitions. Yeonwoo’s eyes, looking up with a gaze full of worry, were exactly like that.

“Hyung-ah, we’ll meet again, right? You’re not going anywhere, right.”

For a young one, he was quick-witted.

“Of course. We will meet, for sure. So don’t cry. Go and get a good night’s sleep, and when you wake up, it will all be over.”

To tell a child that it would all be over after one night passed made his heart sting. Before the vague fear of having to face what came next could wash over him further, Seorim smiled and brought his index finger to his lips.

“This is a secret just between the two of us.”

“A s-secret.”

“Sleep well.”

“Hyung-ah……”

Yeonwoo hesitated, unable to take the first step away decisively. When Seorim turned his back completely, the child lingered in that spot for a long while before leaving the room, walking backward. When the sound of his small, puppy-like footsteps faded and could no longer be heard, Seorim slowly closed the door.

The room was once again submerged in silence. Seorim walked a few steps, then sank to the floor with a thump.

“Eup, wu, wu-euk.”

When his eyes met the corpse of Chairman Ryu lying prostrate on the floor, nausea surged up. Seorim covered his mouth and gagged. No vomit came out, but droplets of saliva formed on the floor.

A person was dead. Moreover, the grandfather who was the head of a corporation. And officially, he would have to be the one who killed him.

Chairman Ryu’s eyes were wide and yellowed, as if he were staring at him resentfully. The sensation of being strangled by him was still vivid, yet seeing him become a corpse and grow cold in an instant also made him feel a sense of emptiness. A person’s life could be cut off so instantly.

“……I’m sorry, Chairman.”

I wished for you to die, but I didn’t want you to go like this. Seorim reached out a trembling hand and swept it over Chairman Ryu’s eyelids. Once his eyes were closed, the reality that his breath had stopped became even more tangible, and the fear deepened.

He was afraid. The path leading into a deeper abyss below the floor. He was so terrified of how to handle the Baek Seorim who had become not just a male prostitute, but a murderer.

I have to think, think about what to do from now on.

Should I turn myself in?

Then he would have to live his entire life in prison. He would be investigated, and his father might also face retaliation. He could not even fathom what price he would have to pay for taking the life of a member of a chaebol family.