MIM 22

A large shadow fell over the shattered block figure. Without realizing it, Shin-woo took a step towards Ma Jae-seung. Before Shin-woo’s foot could even touch the ground, Jae-seung darted to the fireplace like a bullet.

Jae-seung grabbed a fire poker from the fireplace and whirled around to face his brother. With his disheveled silver hair, shirt on the verge of tearing, muscles bulging as he puffed out his chest, and his large fist holding the poker, the guy looked so scary that even Shin-woo, who had experienced everything in Mangwol District, flinched.

As he approached his older brother, who was backing away pale-faced, Jae-seung’s eyes flickered darkly.

“If hyung dies, Father will have no choice but me.”

Was that talent, or something learned from his father? Shin-woo silently admired the simple yet effective threat. Jae-seung stubbornly held his ground for a while, glaring at his brother’s retreating back as he fled. Shin-woo also remained motionless until the boy sat down again in front of his blocks and began building.

Shin-woo turned his gaze from the wide-open door and crouched down opposite Jae-seung. He was curious about this kid. Despite his curiosity having led him into trouble before, he couldn’t help it.

“What are you looking at?” Jae-seung asked without looking up.

Shin-woo grinned, staring at the boy’s round head. 

“That shirt doesn’t suit you. It looks like it’s going to burst.”

Jae-seung glanced up at Shin-woo. His gloomy face showed a hint of embarrassment. Unable to deny that the shirt was too small, he just pouted.

“…Mind your business.”

“Your dad is a pervert. What good does it do to get on his good side?”

At Shin-woo’s deliberately mean words, Jae-seung’s eyes widened as he looked around. He probably hadn’t heard anyone insult Ma Jin-seong before. Despite his shock, he didn’t seem to feel insulted. It appeared he wanted his father’s approval but didn’t respect him.

He was just a little kid wanting to be loved. Shin-woo playfully clicked his tongue and poked at Jae-seung’s chest, which looked ready to burst.

“It’s going to tear. It’s tearing.”

“How dare you, stop it!”

Jae-seung recoiled in alarm. The poor shirt gave way with a ripping sound as soon as Jae-seung swung his arm widely.

“Hey! I told you to stop!”

Unable to contain his anger, Jae-seung jumped up and stomped his foot loudly. Shin-woo, who had been staring blankly at the child trapped in an adult body, burst out laughing. For all his bad temper, Ma Jae-seung had an incredibly cute side.

After trying in vain to somehow put on the tattered shirt while breathing heavily, Jae-seung finally gave up the meaningless effort. He threw the shirt forcefully to the ground, revealing his upper body that had been barely covered.

His body was mottled with rashes, appearing reddish overall. Due to his overdeveloped muscles, he didn’t look like a normal twelve-year-old. His skin, unable to keep up with the rapid growth, was stretched and darkened. It wasn’t much different from the ill-fitting shirt.

“Does it hurt?” Shin-woo asked lightly. It would be easier to answer whether it hurt than to ask specifically what had happened to him. Jae-seung shook his head excessively.

“No. It doesn’t hurt at all.”

“That’s good. You’re a young master who shouldn’t get hurt even a hair.”

‘My son mustn’t have even a hair harmed,’ they insisted, but to hell with that now. Shin-woo still remembered the condition Jae-seung’s mother had set. Because of those words, he had to send Jae-seung back unharmed when the boy attacked him, unable to beat him up. He smiled, remembering how he had struggled with the urge to punch the foul-mouthed young master until the very end.

Jae-seung also seemed to remember those words, making a subtle expression. He shrugged as if the scars covering his body were nothing.

“They’ll disappear soon. They usually appear and disappear when I eat something wrong.”

It was bravado. It was obvious from the way he stood at an odd angle, hunching his shoulders to hide his body. Shin-woo casually lifted his t-shirt to show his side.

“What’s the big deal? I have scars like that too.”

He had no shortage of scars. Jae-seung frowned at the large knife scar on Shin-woo’s side. He quickly averted his gaze to the floor, then glanced back. Then he gently rubbed the scar with his index finger.

The old wound was ugly but no longer painful. When he was young, he had snuck into a restaurant to steal food and got into a fight with the chef. Unfortunately, the chef happened to be holding an expensive, high-quality knife. Though he wasn’t stabbed deeply and barely escaped death, the sloppy stitching left a gruesome scar.

Staring at the scar, Jae-seung suddenly asked,

“Do you still live in Mangwol District? Couldn’t you move with the 500 million won?”

“Haha, I don’t have anything like a home.”

Thinking about it, he seemed to believe that just moving would allow one to escape Mangwol District forever and build a safe new life. The young master’s naive train of thought was amusing. He couldn’t possibly imagine the lives of abandoned children without identities, lives where even names were unnecessary.

Ma Jae-seung’s gaze moved. His frowning eyes lingered briefly on Shin-woo’s smiling lips, then slowly descended to his neck, scanning the barcode. Then they quickly traveled over his shoulder and dropped far away.

“Shin-woo!”

As Shin-woo was about to turn around following the gaze, he froze at the sudden call of his name. Ma Jae-seung stood before him with arms wide open, beaming brightly. His eyes overflowed with affection, and his energetic lips curved widely. “Shin-woo!” Jae-seung called out once more as he stood up. His shadow, looming as if about to pounce, fell over Shin-woo.

“Shin-woo, baby!”

Baby? Only then did Shin-woo hear the small pattering footsteps coming from behind. He took a deep breath as he belatedly noticed the fluffy brown ball of fur.

It was a puppy. A small puppy came bounding into Jae-seung’s arms, wagging its tail excitedly.

“Where have you been, baby!”

Ma Jae-seung hugged the puppy tightly and showered its palm-sized face with kisses. From a distance, it looked almost as if he was devouring it, so relentless were his kisses. Shin-woo, who had been staring blankly at the commotion, let out a short sigh. As soon as he realized the situation, all strength left his body.

This bastard gave me a dog’s name.

“Here. If you play with me, I’ll give you one of these.”

Oblivious to Shin-woo’s feelings, Jae-seung, happy to have found his puppy, handed over a block. Seeing him act so proudly, as if bestowing a great treasure, Shin-woo couldn’t help but laugh ironically. When the desired reaction didn’t come, Jae-seung threw another tantrum. He was truly an exhaustingly temperamental kid.

“You don’t understand. You think this is just a toy? It’s one of a kind. A very famous person made it for me. If you collect them all, it’ll be incredibly expensive.”

“Really?”

“Yes. It could sell for tens of millions!”

Considering the public’s excessive interest in the Ma family, a custom-made toy for Ma Jae-seung could indeed fetch such a price. Should he steal it now and sell it right away? Just taking the toy rather than selling photos would reduce the risk of retaliation. They wouldn’t be so petty over one missing block. As Shin-woo was deeply considering this, Jae-seung suddenly leaned in without warning.

At a distance close enough for their noses to touch, two eyes sparkled mischievously. Those gem-like eyes, far more precious than any toy block, completely captured Shin-woo’s gaze. Ma Jae-seung lowered his voice secretively and whispered.

“You said you don’t have a home, right?”

“…What?”

“When you finish this, a big house will be completed. There’s a playground and a garden. You’ll have family and friends too.”

Jae-seung picked up a few more blocks and held them out to the dumbfounded Shin-woo. Several blocks that could make windows were placed on his palm. As Shin-woo stared blankly at the blocks, Jae-seung gathered a handful of scattered blocks and grinned.

“I’ll make it for you, your home.”

* * *

Shin-woo looked up at the massive door. He had chosen the back door as he couldn’t use the main entrance while escaping, but even the back door was impressively grand, befitting the size of the mansion. Ornate sculptures gazed down at those passing through, and meticulously maintained trees and bushes spread out as far as the eye could see. There was no need to search for a secret escape route as the back door was wide open. There wasn’t even a doorkeeper; he could just walk out on his own two feet.

With the heavy money bag slung over his shoulder, Shin-woo took one last look at the mansion. While its exterior was splendid, there was an eerie atmosphere about the place. The shabby annex, doors that could only be locked from the outside, and a twelve-year-old boy with a battered body trapped in the mansion. The image of Ma Jae-seung, wearing his older brother’s shirt to try and get his father’s attention, and the mottled skin above his shirt collar lingered in Shin-woo’s mind.

What on earth is happening inside that mansion?

Shin-woo frowned as he shoved his hands into his jacket pockets. He pulled out all the blocks rolling around in his pocket and stared at them for a long time. Windows, window frames, and human figures. When building a house, Jae-seung had first grabbed the windows, not the roof, pillars, floor, or doors. Did the boy’s world begin with windows? He had said it was custom-made, and the head of the block figure was painted silver.

Whether in Mangwol District or here, it’s equally dangerous, so wouldn’t it be better to work where they at least pay more? If he left now, he’d never know what happened to Jae-seung or the missing people from Mangwol District.

“…It’s not like I have a home to return to anyway.”

After hesitating, Shin-woo finally turned back. Clutching tightly in his hand the block figure with the silver hair.