DS Ch 1

His sister hasn’t come home for several days. There’s been no word from her through calls or messages.

Eun-myeong looked at the empty room. The small, shabby room had now completely lost its warmth.

… Where on earth did she go?

Did she sink into the ground like a stone, or did she rise into the sky like smoke? Where could she be huddled up like a cocoon in some corner? Even so, it’s not like you can avoid debt and debt collectors.

There’s no way his bright and smart sister wouldn’t know that. She learned Hangul before starting elementary school, and she could easily do arithmetic even now. He thought she took a momentary escape; it would be good if she could shrug it off like that…

The problem is those damn thugs. They were like crocodiles lurking in the swamp. They were submerged up to their necks in water and watched them with predatory eyes. They were incredibly vigilant. Just a few days ago, he got a serious beating from them.

That day, Eun-myeong only moved a few times under the blanket.

‘What?’

But the thug tilted his head slightly. His hand, which had been counting money, stopped. His eyes flashed fiercely.

‘Look at this punk.’

The hairs on the back of Eun-myeong’s head seemed to stand up. His fear reached its peak.

‘Why are you acting like a damn itchy puppy today of all days?’

I, I’m fucked… Eun-myeong stiffened his body. He had just put 8,000 won under his butt. As he clenched his fist in fear of being caught, he suddenly raised his triangular eyes.

‘Fuck, this is so fucking suspicious?’

‘No, nothing is suspicious, Hyung-nim.’

While saying that it was nothing, Eun-myeong bit his tongue firmly.

‘No, fuck. You look so fucking suspicious right now.’

Bang, a white-like lightning struck in front of his eyes. A fist slammed into his temple like a sledgehammer into a wall.

‘Ugh!’

Eun-myeong fell sideways. The blanket fluttered like the South Korean flag. Money that had been flattened against the yellowed floor by the pressure from his buttocks scattered before his eyes.

‘…This damn bastard!’

He rolled himself up in the blanket like a silkworm cocoon. The blanket was vigorously shaken, making the dust fly.

‘Ugh, heug…’

He had no idea how hard those punches were. Indeed, his nickname ‘Jjangja,’ meaning ‘a guy who gets hit with fists,’ was well-deserved.

If he let out a whimper during the beating, he would get even more hits. Eun-myeong clenched his fist tightly and pushed it into his mouth. His wrist oozed saliva. Even in the midst of the beating, he could only be thankful that his sister wasn’t there.

“Hu, uh, huff.”

His sister didn’t return home until dawn. She had worked tirelessly at a fish restaurant with him to pay off their debt, and that place was practically a labor camp.

Even though she must have been exhausted from working all day, she held Eun-myeong’s face and cried the whole time.

‘Why did you do that, why! You know those bastards count the money several times a day, don’t you!’

His sister handed him a cold egg. Eun-myeong’s swollen eyes, like glutinous rice cake, were gently rubbed.

‘Ugh…’

Eun-myeong’s spine trembled in pain. Even a slight touch was excruciating.

‘Why should I come home after work and see your face like this, huh? Cough, cough.’

The words she spoke out of frustration were mixed with coughing. Eun-myeong bit his lower lip tightly. He wanted to blame himself even more.

‘Why did you do something you’ve never done before and get beaten like this, huh… If you need money, just tell me.’

Tell me, where did you use the money? His sister asked several times.

However, Eun-myeong kept his mouth shut like an uneaten clam. He simply gazed at the dust-covered floor as if there was honey spread on it.

‘Huh? What? Speak up, where did you use…! Cough, ugh, cough, cough…’

As the coughing grew worse, Eun-myeong lifted his moist eyes.

‘I’m sorry… I won’t do it again, so please don’t be angry.’

Even though she was not feeling well…

It was nothing else but the money for briquettes. His older sister was lame on one leg and had been particularly weak since she was young. In this cold winter, she always caught a cold a hundred times over.

Due to the dire financial situation at their impoverished home, they couldn’t afford to take her to the hospital. They had no money, no skills, and little education. All he could do for his sister was this clumsy embezzlement.

… Thud, thud.

A chilling sound knocked on the thin window. He couldn’t tell if the uninvited guest knocking was the bitter winter wind blowing outside or the sound of his sister crying.

A room more miserable than a rat hole. The two people hid in the dark, crying and suffering all morning, holding on to their muddled hearts.

* * *

Yeah, that was just a week ago. And it has been four days since his sister disappeared.

The room was very quiet. With no one around, the cold silence crept into his side. He found himself having unnecessary thoughts at moments like this, therefore he had to force himself to move.

“…Ah.”

Come to think of it, there was nothing to eat at home. His sister would be hungry when she returned. Instead of just sitting here, he should go buy some instant noodles or something. Eun-myeong covered his pale face with a large hood. The bruised and battered skin had somewhat disappeared.

It was dark outside. It was already well past evening. He only bought two sad-looking instant noodle packs on the way back. There was no one waiting at home, so his steps naturally slowed down.

As he walked, Eun-myeong noticed that the door to his house in the distance was slightly open.

“… Noona?”

It seemed like his sister had returned. His steps suddenly become faster due to anticipation. Huff, huff. Breathing heavily, Eun-myeong pushed the door open with his palm. Squeak, a grating sound scratched his ears.

“Where on earth did you go without even saying anything, especially when you’re not feeling well? I bought instant noodles, and it came with kimchi…”

The red lips that had been muttering fell silent in an instant. It was because of a sharp sense of discomfort rushing through his whole body.

… What was this fishy smell?

It was different from the unique fishy odor of the seafood restaurant, a pungent smell that made his throat tighten. It felt like he had definitely smelled it somewhere before.

Next, everything in front of him turned entirely red.

“…Ah!”

The entire yard was a sea of ​​blood.

Eun-myeong was covering his mouth with his palm, stiff as if his whole body had been tied up with ropes. In a corner, something wriggled like a serpent.

“Fuck…”

And then he heard the voice of an unfamiliar man. The bag slipped from Eun-myeong’s hand. The man who had been kneeling slowly stood up. Moonlight bathed his big figure smoothly.

“W-Who are you…”

He was a very big man. His black suit seemed to fit him perfectly, supporting his violently huge body with the elasticity of snake scales.

“Why are you… at my house…”

Huff, huff. Eun-myeong took a deep breath. His body was slowly taking a step back without him realizing it.

“Well, the timing was damn perfect.”

It was a peculiar tone. It was undoubtedly insincere. The mat had left the door wide open as if, it didn’t matter if he got caught or not. It felt like the heartstrings were being plucked out of his chest. Anxiety surged, making Eun-myeong’s stomach clench.

It was then. What caught his attention was the jug on one side. No, to be precise, something, like a piece of meat, protruding between the not-quite-closed lid, grabbed his attention fiercely.

“H-Huh…!!”

It was clearly a human hand. Eun-myeong’s tongue moved sluggishly as if paralyzed.

“Noo-na…?”

His heart sank at the sound that came out of his mouth without me realizing it. A faint, mocking laugh was heard.

“Probably not.”

The man unrolled his black gloves, and the gaps between his fingers were stained red with blood.

“That’s not a girl.”

As he muttered, he clicked his tongue lightly. It was like making an everyday comment as if they were discussing whether today’s lunch menu was good or not. The sense of terror intensified. To this man, murder seemed no different from killing a bug.

“Look at this panty, it’s smaller than my palm.”

Suddenly, he reached out to the nearby clothesline and grabbed a pair of panties. His hands were so massive that the tiny piece of fabric almost disappeared within his grip.

Eun-myeong wondered what he intended to do with that. The man then wiped his hand on the panties. The white fabric was now soaked with a gruesome red, blood, bright red blood… It felt like his brain was being beaten by a club.

“It’s a baby, fuck, it’s a newborn baby.”

As the blood was wiped away, a black tattoo on the back of his hand was revealed. It was a spider, a venomous spider that had set up its web to catch prey, a ferocious spider with potent poison.

The man took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and tapped it against his palm. He pulled out the white stick, put it to his lips, and opened the lid of the lighter. Beyond the small flame, their gazes met with a sinister intensity. The serpent-like eyes sparkled wickedly.

“I thought you were just some cheap Omega.”

A violent smell flows into the tip of my nose. It seemed rough at first but had a subtle sensuality to it. In this old countryside, the elegance was so high that there was barely an opportunity to experience such a scent.

Furthermore, his face was unfamiliar… Who was this person? Why was he in his house?