DI Ch 16

I ignored Seo Seung-won’s racing heart and carried on with my drink. My stiff body relaxed every time I took a sip or two. I’m not sure if it was my mood, but the conversation and atmosphere became more relaxed. But the more we talked, the more unexpected it became that he was a person with common sense. He still gave off a dangerous vibe, but it felt normal.

If I didn’t know anything about him, I would never have thought of Tae Seong-je as being associated with gangsters. From the outside, he seemed like someone who might just be doing what he loved. It gave off an impression of freedom from him.

However, Tae Seong-je was by no means an ordinary person as his hands show. His rough hands, covered in scars and calluses, revealed what a difficult life he had been through. I couldn’t even see the wounds I had treated because there were so many traces, from obvious cuts to small scars.

Tae Seong-je said while covering the back of his hand with a smile.

“What did you say you were studying?”

“Ah, that’s the business department.”

“Why.”

“Just… ”

Before answering, I pretended to have a drink to think about it. Actually, there was no reason for that. I came to the Business Department because Seo Seung-won had to be in the same department as Woo Ji-min and Kang Moo-hyun. There was no other reason, such as to get good grades or because I wanted to become something. Even if there was, it didn’t matter. Because in this world, the story of Woo Ji-min and Kang Moo-hyun is more important than probability.

Still, when I didn’t know about the probability, I was curious. Why did Seo Seung-won want to go to the Business Department? Because Seo Seung-won’s family was puzzled when I applied for business administration at Korea University following the original story. Seo Seung-won seemed to have no interest in business administration at all. So what did he want to study?

“If you don’t want to talk about it, then don’t. Do you want another drink?”

“Ah, yes.”

“You drink well.”

“Yeah. This my the third time drinking, and it’s not bad.”

“… Third time?”

I nodded casually, then paused. It was only the second time I drank with Seo Seung-won’s body. There was no reason to correct it, so I remained silent. What can I say now…

Oh, but. Aren’t I acting like I know too much about Tae Seong-je? This was also due to the fact that he listened to me better than I thought. That would mean I’m letting my guard down, and…it’s so natural now that I didn’t realize it, but I hadn’t looked at his scar since earlier.

What? Is he hiding the scars on his hands from me? Why? Was he offended that I was looking at him too much? Was Tae Seong-je the kind of person who put up with unpleasant feelings? I don’t think so. It was a small question, but once it started to bubble up, it became quite large and hard to ignore.

Come to think of it, Tae Seong-je, didn’t look like a gangster at all?

I’m not sure what gives him that vibe, but I’d say it’s the atmosphere. It wasn’t the same as when we first met. It was a subtle difference, but he didn’t curse or frown… He’s not as frivolous, harsh, or sarcastic as the book portrays. He’s also not coercive or violent.

I drank a glass of beer all at once to satisfy my thirst. He’s being nice because he likes me… My toes curl. I felt both excited and smug. If I were gay, I’d be really happy. Of course, I would have been completely happy if I wasn’t Seo Seung-won, and if he wasn’t Tae-seong-jae…

“Oh right. Hyung, this.”

I took out a slightly crumpled white envelope that I had hidden in my bosom in case I lost it, and handed it to him. Tae Seong-je raised one eyebrow for the first time and wondered.

“This is for the hospital bill you paid for.”

Tae Seong-je checked the inside of the envelope with his fingertips and smiled.

“At least you have consciousness… but keep it.”

“What? Keep it?”

“Yeah. It’s too much for what I paid. You keep it.”

I knew they wouldn’t be able to find the cause anyway, so I didn’t bother with the test, but it cost me quite a bit of money because I was dazed and they did a lot of things besides the fluid. I didn’t even put coins in the envelope, I just filled it neatly with ten thousand won, and he wouldn’t accept it for that amount. It’s not even a small amount of money…

I fiddled with the slightly crumpled part and pushed the envelope back toward him.

“Hyung. I appreciate it, and honestly, it’s nice, but this…”

“I know.”

“It’s little, uh, oh… You know… ”

At a loss for words at Tae Seong-je ‘s confidence, I bowed my head, then looked him in the eye and shook my head.

“No. I don’t think it’s right, and there’s no reason for you to pay for me when you’ve never seen me before.”

“I don’t need the money from a kid.”

Tae Seong-je gestured nonchalantly to take it back. He didn’t seem to have any intention of taking it. Then I’ll throw it in his car when I go home. It was a bit of a hassle for him to get it straight away. It may be a prejudice, but since his job is a job, I didn’t want to be caught with a small amount of money.

Even if I wondered if the anti-military measures were excessive, Tae Seong-je was never a person who did business at a loss. I was deliberately wary that there must be other intentions. It was in the midst of talking in a tense state. Tae Seong-je started talking about that day casually.

“But how far do you remember that day?”

I rolled my eyes awkwardly because I didn’t expect him to ask such a thing.

“Remember? Well. Just, roughly?”

“How far is that?”

“Maybe… as far as…putting the medicine on the back of your hand…?”

“Oh.”

Tae Seong-je nodded lazily as if he remembered that time. Then he smiled faintly and said.

“Try more.”

What more? The things you were killing almost killed a person?

“It’s just that all…”

Tae Seong-je suddenly smiled cynically and then openly displayed his bad personality and acted crookedly when I said that.

“Baby. This hyung doesn’t like lies. I hate bastards who lie every time they open their mouths.”

“Uh… Yes, I’m sorry.”

I don’t know how he knew, but his eyes seemed to see my lies clearly. It was just one answer, but he was so good at pinpointing lies. I felt a bit uneasy because he thought I could see my pupils trembling.

I gulped down my beer, feigning calm. Was this an interrogation, not a flirting session? Could it be that one of them died? So he was going to clean me up as a witness? My mind spun, unable to find a reason for his persistence.

“Eub.”

“What. What’s wrong with you again?”

Tae Seong-je, who was sitting across from me, leaned over in response to my vomiting and grabbed my shoulder. Given the sensation that my blood had been drained, my complexion must have appeared to be quite pale. I shook him off and fumbled for my beer glass on the table. I gulped the cold beer down my throat quickly. I desperately needed the power of alcohol right now, which was like a cheat key.

“It’s okay, don’t mind me. It’s like this sometimes when I’m anxious.”

“What? What kind of disease is this?”

“No. It’s just psychological… It’s nothing.”

I’m not lying. It was a psychological thing, so I was telling the truth. Even though I downplayed it, Tae Seong-je still looked at me with suspicion.

“Is it okay to drink that?”

“The more I drink, the better.”

“You sound like an alcoholic. So what are you anxious about?”

The one you are interrogating.

“I forgot, but then I remembered the madman who took out the knife.”

I lowered my gaze with a pale face. I put my fingernails under the table and scratched the back of my hand. The fingernail marks that had risen red immediately throbbed. I didn’t really wonder what the situation was like at that time, or what the relationship between Tae Seong-je and the men was. My liver wasn’t big enough to want to know the truth, so I was just anxious. Let’s just move on and start dating…

“Knife? Oh, that guy.”

He muttered lowly as if Tae Seong-je remembered. I narrowed my eyes in confusion. Why did he look like he was remembering that guy just now? Wasn’t that what he meant to ask? I wondered if I was making the wrong assumption as I observed Tae-sung sitting with his upper body straightened.

No, then why did he ask that? My hand, which had been tightly tightened, lost all its strength. It was the first time I saw someone holding a knife on the street, so it stuck in my mind, but Tae Seong-je didn’t seem to be particularly impressed.

“Yes. Yes, that person I was really surprised when I saw the knife…”

I lost my appetite and then fumbled with the food on my plate. My voice was weak as if I were tired. I felt sick just thinking about that scene at the time. To be honest, I was really shocked.

“Come to think of it, I was so distracted that I forgot to report him.”

What if that guy hurt someone passing by? It was the first time I saw a knife outside, not even in the kitchen, and I was terrified of the way the man tried to stab a person with it. Was that person also a gangster? Originally, people like that would carry at least a knife in their pocket. The people who kidnap me later are also gangsters. I’m scared to death, really…

“Don’t worry. I told them to catch him.”

Tae Seong-je, who smiled faintly, made me feel relieved. I’m not sure when the police were called, but if they were, I’m glad he did. That’s what I thought at first, Tae Seong-je was nice to civilians. Tae Seong-je was not a good person, but he was also not a bad person. The looming fear had been relieved.

Well, it’s only part one.