M 12
by Sorai“A bet?”
Ki Tae-jeong’s graceful brow twitched as if he was displeased. Had he pushed too far? Sehwa looked at his body language, crushing the piece of bread nervously under the table.
“What are you doing?”
Ki Tae-jeong leaned back, seemingly puzzled, and gestured with his eyes toward whatever Sehwa was doing under the table.
“Are you really a dealer? Why are you acting so suspiciously?”
“I’m not really a card dealer… more of a drug specialist…”
“So you were hiding drugs under there?”
Sehwa fell silent.
“Will you only answer if I hit you again?”
“No, it’s not drugs… It’s just bread… I was hiding it. I thought if I talked back, you might not let me eat…”
“Ah, you…”
Ki Tae-jeong seemed on the verge of exasperation but stopped himself from saying more. Ki Tae-jeong’s hand on the table trembled, but it didn’t appear to be aimed at him. Sehwa finally pulled out his neck, which had shrunk like a turtle. His face was expressionless, but he caught a glimpse of a smile in Ki Tae-jeong’s eyes. Perhaps he won’t hit me.
“I won’t turn the tables over, so eat them all.”
Sehwa looked at him as if asking if he was serious. Ki Tae-jeong let out an annoyed sigh and put on a stern expression.
“I don’t do deals with vague rewards, like granting wishes. If you win, I’ll let you live without harm, and I won’t take the money you got from Lieutenant Kim. But if I win…”
The continuation was quite obvious. He’d make Sehwa a plaything. After all, yesterday Ki Tae-jeong had said that he must do as he was told. He even said he would count how many times he climaxed in front of people. This man had perverted and cruel tendencies, so perhaps he’d even make Sehwa spread himself open for his subordinates. But…
“…I’ll agree to that.”
Sehwa had his own principles. The conversation a while ago made it even clearer. Ki Tae-jeong could not kill Sehwa carelessly as long as he still needed something from Lieutenant Kim. Even if Ki Tae-jeong could obtain the finished product, Sehwa was the only one who could manufacture the drug. Therefore, no matter what Ki Tae-jeong threatened him with, Sehwa had the upper hand. In gambling, the more desperate player loses.
“How do we determine the points? You’re not suggesting we actually fight, are you?”
“It’s up to you to decide… You can earn points by helping the other person. This time, that is, limited to the affair with Lieutenant Kim and the drugs.”
“Help…”
Ki Tae-jeong muttered quietly as he casually split an apple in half with his bare hands, but Sehwa couldn’t tell if it was because he was in a bad mood or if he was just doing it without meaning. Sehwa took the bread again and fell into contemplation. It might be better to keep it hidden. Eating now wouldn’t make a difference; if he lost, he’d end up vomiting it all out.
“Maybe it’s because you’re still young that you think of everything in such a lowly way.”
Ki Tae-jeong squeezed the apple with surprising strength, causing the peel to recede and the flesh to burst out. Sehwa, who was staring at the fruit juice dripping from Ki Tae-jeong’s fingers, felt uncomfortable and tilted his head vaguely. He didn’t want to know what the metaphor in his gestures meant.
“If that’s the case, you should’ve just accepted my offer yesterday. At this rate, you won’t get anything and will just end up spreading your legs for me, won’t you?”
As Ki Tae-jeong chewed on the apple, he brought the communicator from the bedside table and dialed a number while switching it to speakerphone. A strong voice poured out of it.
– Hey, Director Ki.
It was the boss.
“Are you at work already?”
- No, I stayed up all night. Planning some construction. I need to go home now. Is there something you need?
“It’s about the person you assigned to me.”
– Samwol? What about him?
“I heard he has debts”
Sehwa raised his head, having carefully split the bread and hidden it in his pocket. Why was he bringing up debt now?
– Uh… that damn thing. He’s been acting all high and mighty lately because he managed to pay off some of it.
“The remaining debt, would it be possible for me to pay it off on his behalf??”
– Huh? You want to pay it off?
“I’ll pay it off, even the interest.”
– Why would you pay it off?
“Did you say it was Samwol? His excellent service…”
Ki Tae-jeong crumpled the apple he had been holding as if disgusted. The fruit he had taunted in his mouth had been crushed on the table.
“I was a little impressed.”
The boiling gaze that scanned the table was stuck in the middle of Sehwa’s torso. To be precise, it was towards the chest beyond the slightly open robe. Sehwa had thought he had securely fastened the robe, but when had it come undone like this? Startled, he quickly adjusted it, and Ki Tae-jeong also averted his gaze. He had a faint smile that was difficult to read.
– What? Did you really f*ck him? How could you… No, never mind. Even if that’s the case, he’s connected to high-ranking military personnel, right? How are you planning to handle that?
“Do you remember the person who introduced real estate to you last time? The property in 3-Star territory?”
– Oh, of course I remember! But that person is a Warrant Officer. Samwol is stuck to the Lieutenant…
“Anyway, I was going to tell you sooner or later… there’s someone who wants to meet with you, Lieutenant Park Seong-hak.”
– … Lieutenant?
If it was a Lieutenant with Park surname, it seemed to refer to Ki Tae-jeong’s exclusive aide.
“Using Lieutenant Park as an excuse might work. We don’t have any influence, so if we ask how we’re supposed to handle this, he’ll come up with the money himself. If, by any chance, we redirect the deal to Lieutenant Park, it will be a loss for Lieutenant Kim.”
- But what if they both retaliate in the middle of it?
“Both Lieutenant Kim and Lieutenant Park have weaknesses. We hold the leverage.”
– Is that so?
“Yes. Don’t worry.”
Ki Tae-jeong ended the call after saying that he would pay the debt himself. Sehwa looked at the communicator quietly until the screen went dark.
What Sehwa had intended was not this. He had planned to gradually drop hints, one by one. Show the process of drug production, something Ki Tae-jeong had never seen before, or teach him the slang commonly used in distribution…
But Ki Tae-jeong had simply and easily removed the shackles that Sehwa had carried his entire life with just one phone call.
“Lieutenant Park.”
Ki Tae-jeong didn’t stop there; he pressed the call button on his watch as if he wouldn’t give Sehwa a chance to interrupt.
– Yes, Brigadier.
“While you’re out, look into some schools.”
– School?
“He said he wants to go to school. He says he wants to study, get a part-time job, and live a normal life?”
– Um… If you’re talking about schools outside the Castle, do you have a specific type in mind? Like universities or technical schools…
“Outside the Castle? No way. It’s an order from a Brigadier General. So you’d better do it right.”
- Are you trying to give Lee Sehwa a new resident card?
“Yeah. I think 5-star might attract too much attention, so how about 2 or 3 stars?”
– I’ll get it ready. Oh, and about the contract you mentioned yesterday…
“Oh, I’ll get everything ready. I’ll inform the boss later. Right now, things are getting interesting.”
The communication ended abruptly. Ki Tae-jeong took another bite of a fresh apple and tilted his head. Sehwa wiped his palm with his gown. Sweat kept gathering, and he couldn’t help it. The fruit being crushed in Ki Tae-jeong’s mouth felt like… his future. Sehwa hadn’t even told Ki Tae-jeong about getting a new residency card. It was as if he already knew about Sehwa’s intentions and plans.
“How could you… know that?”
“What? About you getting a new resident registration card from Lieutenant Kim?”
“…”
“Are you asking how did I know that?”
“…”
“Babe.”
Ki Tae-jeong reached out his hand and touched Sehwa’s lips softly as if in praise. As the apple juice on his fingers seeped through the gaps in his lips, he involuntarily swallowed.
“A kid who couldn’t even extract a lot of money from Lieutenant Kim said that once he paid off all his debts, he wanted to break free from these criminal dens and live a normal life. So what do you think he needed the most?”
Ki Tae-jeong chuckled, saying that there were quite a few naive people like Sehwa around him. He appeared to be having fun as he dragged Sehwa through the mud while wearing the face of a fairytale prince.
“If it were me, I would have demanded a lot of money. Becoming a 1-star resident is possible with enough money. That would have aroused less suspicion from guys like me.”
“…”
“Why do you look so upset? I’m not making fun of you for being stupid. It’s just that you’re too young. That’s why when I look at you, I see everything. I can read you like an open book.”
I’m a monstrous immortal who has been through hell and back, actually tasted death, and still comes back alive every time.
You’re just a poor kid who’s lived in this little House all your life and thinks this world is everything.
“But still, this should definitely help, right? Since I paid off your debts, you’ll be able to gobble up all the money Lieutenant Kim gives you from now on. You’ll be able to live a normal life as you hoped, with the better status I provided.”
Sehwa’s pupils shook pitifully. What was it? Ki Tae-jeong had ridiculed him as a fool whose thoughts were clearly visible. But when you summed up what Ki Tae-jeong had done, it was a guarantee that Sehwa could live like a human being.
“So, do I already have 2 points?”
“Director….”
“It might be a bit unfair. I have overwhelming advantages compared to you.”
Ki Tae-jeong shrugged as he finished eating the apple.
“Shall we do it like this, then? Every time the other side grants a request, we nullify 1 point. So, if right now I ask for a wish and you accept it, my score won’t be 2 points, but 1. If you accept one more, it’ll be zero.”
“You said you didn’t like deals with vague rewards…”
“Yeah. But this one, you can choose, can’t you? It won’t affect the main bet, and if you don’t want to do it, you can just refuse.”
Crunch, crunch. Ki Tae-jeong’s throat made a big gulp sound as he bit into the fruit.
“What… What do you want?”
“I won’t put it in, so could you let me suck your hole?”
The possibly the most beautiful devil in the world, asked Sehwa while holding a bright red apple. His voice was unbelievably gentle and affectionate.
“Sit on my face, and suck on my d*ck while I suck your h0le. Then I’ll give you one point.”