HRDT Ch 1

Ten years ago, Yoorim was a case of a gang that had expanded its power and was reborn as a corporate-style organized crime group.

While operating businesses in construction and entertainment, they handled money laundering for the political world and, in return, acquired concessions. Thanks to expanding its scale through full-fledged investment, it soon boasted a reputation as a construction company comparable to a major conglomerate.

In other words, Yoorim Construction was, for all intents and purposes, a gangster company. Although it had erected a respectable building in the Gangnam area and employed hundreds of people, the fact that its parent body was the Yoorim-pa was an undeniable truth. The major positions, from the CEO to the executives, were held by the organization’s high-ranking members, and in particular, the on-site management was always handled by guys who were said to know how to use their fists. What people commonly call ‘thug bastards’.

Choi Taejin was serving as the managing director of Yoorim Construction. The very fact that he was leading the company’s most important strategic planning office at the young age of thirty six showed just how outstanding his abilities were. He had two more brothers, and the peculiar thing was that they were all the same age, but each had a different mother.

The head of the Yoorim-pa, Chairman Choi, who had managed to have three sons in one year, was a vigorous and promiscuous man. Of course, it was a common thing in this world for an oya to have several mistresses. Even though it was a household with no proper roots, no one pointed a finger and called it scandalous.

The brothers each had different personalities, but their ambition to inherit the organization was identical. Choi Taejin was the most brilliant of the three brothers and had excellent business acumen, but he had weaker backing compared to his other brothers. Thus, he was in a position of being pushed back in the succession race.

“Director, we have arrived.”

As Manager Gu opened the car door, a long leg stretched out from the back seat. Taejin, who had gotten out of the car, tidied up his attire, starting by fastening the button of his jacket. On his visible exterior, it was hard to find any trace of tattoos.

The place they had arrived at was in front of an old traditional house called ‘Cheongyeondang’. The endlessly stretching tiled roof symbolized the wealth of this house. It was his second visit, but seeing it again, it was a house overflowing with grandeur.

Choi Taejin passed through the towering main gate and entered the house. Chairman Jeon, who had come out in advance to wait, saw Taejin and gave a pleased smile.

“Welcome, Director Choi.”

“Have you been well, Chairwoman.”

“An old woman like me, every day is the same and boring. But seeing a handsome face again, I couldn’t be more delighted. Come and sit here, tea is all right, isn’t it?”

Having moved to the main wooden porch, Chairman Jeon handled the tea set with a skillful touch. The old woman, with her salt-and-pepper white hair, constantly maintained a gentle smile. On the outside, she looked like a benevolent grandmother, but she was the owner of immense power who could not be treated carelessly.

Two weeks ago, Choi Taejin had made a connection with Chairman Jeon, a big shot in the private loan industry, and had a meeting with her.

Chairman Jeon was a figure who held the purse strings of Gangnam in her hands, to the extent that she was known by the nickname ‘Myeongdong Moneybags’. She was also deeply entangled with the political and business worlds, so with a single word from Chairman Jeon, it was possible for the entire landscape of the succession to be overturned.

<I would like you to be my backer, Chairwoman. I will be sure to repay your kindness.>

Hearing the bold request from the young man, Chairman Jeon fell into thought for a moment. Soon, she smiled and threw out a proposal.

<I have a grandson… I was wondering if you could take that child and make him into a decent human being?>

<…….>

<Honestly, he may be my own flesh and blood, but he’s human trash. It’s largely my fault for spoiling him all this time. It’s still the same now, I can’t do a thing when it comes to our Raewon. If you can just take good care of my boy, I’ll actively support you, Director Choi.>

Chairman Jeon had asked him to take charge of her one and only blood relative. She wanted him to keep the boy for a year and fix his nasty temperament.

When he first heard that story, Taejin’s face hardened uncontrollably. He was an expert at managing his expression, but he could not stop his eyebrows from distorting. To ask him to take on a child, it was a request he had never even imagined.

<Wouldn’t there be many people more suitable than a man like me? I am sure you could choose someone much better, Chairwoman.>

<In my eyes, I don’t see anyone as suitable as you, Director Choi.>

<…….>

<His personality, his character, he’s exactly the talent I was looking for.>

<I am not an upright enough person to be responsible for your precious grandson. How can you trust me and entrust him to me.>

<Do you really think I would say something like this without having looked into you?>

It was Chairman Jeon who had suggested they meet in the first place. It was as if she had been targeting only one person, Choi Taejin, from the very beginning.

She had already completed a background check on the person named Choi Taejin. As he himself had said, Choi Taejin was not a man of proper conduct or a good person. How could a man born and raised in a gangster family be upright?

But Chairman Jeon actually valued that point highly. Because Choi Taejin was not someone who would just spoil her grandson. Also, because it seemed he would never give up until he achieved his goal.

Choi Taejin was a man whose greed was as great as his intelligence. He also knew that he absolutely needed help to climb to the very top of the Yoorim-pa.

<Think it over for now. I’m not saying you have to decide right away.>

Chairman Jeon slid a tablet PC onto the table. It was unknown when she had prepared it, but inside, it was densely packed with personal information about her grandson, ‘Jin Raewon’.

<My boy is difficult to handle, but he’s good at heart. Besides, he’s so pretty. When I see his face, my blood pressure, which was about to shoot up, calms down. It’s a silly thing to say, but anyway, that’s how it is.>

<…….>

<Now then, shall we continue the conversation we were having earlier? You asked me to be your backer? So, what can I help you with?>

The Myeongdong Moneybags was an expert at negotiation. While she wore a gentle smile on her lips, her wrinkle-filled eyes were as cunning as a thousand year old snake.

When Chairman Jeon took out a cigarette, Taejin politely brought a light to it. He had a premonition that it would not be easy to win against this powerful old serpent.

And two weeks later, Taejin visited ‘Cheongyeondang’ again to deliver his answer. Chairman Jeon, whom he faced at the same time and in the same place, was dressed in the same simple, modified hanbok as before.

“So, have you made up your mind?”

“May I speak frankly?”

“That would be better.”

Taejin straightened his back and took a deep breath. If she were asking if he had made a decision, not yet. There were a few more points he needed to go over.

He had just confirmed with his own eyes what kind of person Jin Raewon was. Just as Chairman Jeon had said, he was a spoiled brat. Could he reform such a kid? He was confident in overpowering and controlling someone with force, but a child… to be honest, he loathed them.

“The kid was quite the brat.”

As he threw out his unvarnished assessment, Chairman Jeon slapped the catalpa wood table, and laughed loudly. Choi Taejin continued to speak with a dry face.

“I admit he’s pretty. It’s understandable why you would brag about him, Chairwoman.”

“Director Choi, you’re more amusing than you look. Go on, keep talking.”

“No matter how much he is your grandson, Chairwoman, I will not go easy on him. I’m the type who doesn’t even associate with ill-mannered kids in the first place.”

Chairman Jeon blew, on her teacup, sending the hot steam away. The fun of deducing the inner meaning of his ambiguous answer, whether he would do it or not, was considerable.

“The older I get, the harder it is to use my head. Why don’t you stop tiring out an old woman and give me your decision.”

At that, Choi Taejin slowly raised his lowered eyes. If the opponent was a snake, this side was a tiger hiding its fangs. Its well-sharpened claws were ready to pierce the opponent’s nape at any moment. The black eyes, seeking to seize the initiative, gleamed fiercely.

“Is what you require of me simply discipline?”

“…….”

“If that’s all, I will refuse. You might as well just hire a tutor.”

Chairman Jeon put down the teacup she was holding. As she shed the smile she had so skillfully worn, the kind-looking grandmother was gone, and the true face of the Myeongdong Moneybags, Chairman Jeon, who showed neither blood nor tears, was revealed.

“How much do you know?”

“I tried to use my connections, but I found out nothing.”

“So it’s intuition. You’ve got something useful.”

Chairman Jeon took out a slim cigarette and put it to her lips. 후우, as she exhaled a long stream of smoke, her eyes, thick with remorse, fumbled through the empty air.

She brought out a story she had kept buried, as if reminiscing.

“My daughter and son-in-law, that is, Raewon’s parents, were murdered twenty years ago. The master bedroom was completely spattered with blood. They had been hacked to pieces with a knife so much that there wasn’t a single intact part of their bodies. To the point where it was difficult to even identify them.”

Chairman Jeon’s brow furrowed painfully as she recalled the horror of that day.

“We managed to catch the one who was running wild, vowing to kill the suckling baby too… but what good did that do. The child’s parents were already torn into a thousand, ten thousand pieces.”

“This is the first I am hearing of this story.”

“That’s because not a single line was published in an article. I didn’t want Raewon to find out later, when he grew up, that his parents were horrifically murdered by reading it in an article. Moreover, the motive for the crime was a deep-seated grudge… how could I tell him that.”

“I was under the impression that your daughter and son-in-law were an ordinary housewife and office worker. If that is the case, the cause must have been you, Chairwoman.”

With Chairman Jeon’s intake of breath, the cigarette held between her dry lips crackled as it burned. A gaze that was no different from an agreement flew towards him.

“As you well know, when you’re in this business, you do a lot of things you shouldn’t, a lot of dirty things, and your sense of guilt becomes dull. Sometimes, killing a single person is easier than crushing an ant.”

“…….”

“I don’t kill people for not paying me back. Instead, I slowly push them into a pain so severe it’s like death. So that they wish they would rather die…. That bastard was just like that.”

Chairman Jeon stubbed out the cigarette that had burned all the way to the filter. She poured a little tea water into the ashtray from which smoke was rising. Her sighs deepened as she dredged up the past.

“He was no ordinary man from the start. I shouldn’t have touched him. It wasn’t enough for him to cut the lifelines of my own family members one by one, he also took my child’s life. Is that all, he even sent a letter from prison. It told me to live well, greasing my own throat. It was written that someday he would slit my pretty grandson’s throat and send me his head.”

Even after killing five innocent people, the grudge did not subside. And the letter, sent by evading the prison’s censorship, once again ignited the fire of Chairman Jeon’s own grudge.

“I am waiting too, his release from prison is not far off.”

Chairman Jeon smacked her bitter lips and rinsed her mouth with tea. 카악, 퉤! The tea water she spat out towards the yard looked like a long-held grudge.

Choi Taejin showed little difference in his attitude before and after hearing the story. Looking at his emotionless face, it was impossible to know what he was thinking.

“You plan to handle it yourself, I assume.”

“Of course, I live waiting for that day. I had several chances to kill him while he was incarcerated, but I didn’t want to let him go so easily. I wanted to do it with my own hands, and I wanted to see his breath stop right before my eyes.”

“…….”

“I will absolutely not let him die easily.”

“He shouldn’t die easily.”

Chairman Jeon’s murderous intent was understandable. Choi Taejin expressed his light agreement and drank the cooled tea. His unblinking eyes were still fixed directly on Chairman Jeon.

For the next year, Chairman Jeon had specified from the beginning the period for which he was to take care of Jin Raewon. As expected, there was another purpose. During that period, Chairman Jeon intended to thoroughly crush her enemy to death and complete the revenge she had built up for twenty years.

“So you intend to entrust your grandson’s safety to me?”

“It’s for both reasons. That kid’s temper needs to be fixed once and for all.”

“And you have no intention of assigning him bodyguards.”

“Do you think I haven’t tried?”

No matter how much she cherished her grandson, her evaluation was merciless. She said that she had assigned bodyguards to protect him, only for them to be having illicit affairs with each other, calling him a philandering bastard second to none in the world.

As if she had misspoken, Chairman Jeon belatedly tried to smooth it over.

“Still, the things he does are cute. He just had to be so good looking.”

“His pretty face. It won’t work on me.”

“Director Choi, have you only ever been with women?”

For the first time, Choi Taejin showed an expression. He smiled lightly and brought the teacup to his lips as a sign of affirmation.

“Then there’s even less of a problem.”

“With personal protection and character education, the required conditions have doubled, so the compensation should change as well.”

“Thorough, aren’t you. Well, it’s right for a businessman to act that way.”

Now, only a definite answer remained. Taejin put down his empty teacup.

“I may have to discipline him sternly. If you are fine with that, I will accept the proposal.”

“Hmm, well… that much is fine. Raewon is a grown adult, I doubt he would cry.”

Don’t go easy on him even if he cries, Chairman Jeon threw a joke laden with meaning as she refilled the empty cup with new tea. At a nod of her head, an aide who was on standby brought over a heavy box.

“Our Director Choi, you’ll have to plan big things from now on, so you need to have ample funds on hand. As you know, I’m an old woman with nothing but money.”

Inside the mother-of-pearl box, which was gaping open, were a crisp, untouched bankbook, a note with the password written on it, and a simple wooden seal.

Taejin did not bother to open the bankbook. There was no need to doubt Chairman Jeon’s spending habits. His impassive gaze left the mother-of-pearl box and returned to the teacup.

“I heard you will be going to Japan soon.”

“I have to start preparing soon too, I kept putting it off because I was worried about Raewon. Now that I have you, Director Choi, I can leave with a light heart. If you need help, contact me. Whether it’s money or connections, I can provide as much as you need.”

“Thank you, Chairwoman.”

“I’m the one who should be asking for your good care.”

Having achieved her initial goal, Chairman Jeon chuckled. Then, she quietly took in the sight of the man who, from the very beginning until now, had not shown a single lapse in composure. For a gangster, Choi Taejin was a very respectable person. He was handsome, had ambition, and above all, had clear convictions.

This man was definitely material to become something big. The reason she had singled out Choi Taejin from among the three sons of the Yoorim-pa was because her intuition was particularly drawn to him.

She had been rolling as the Myeongdong Moneybags for no less than forty five years. Chairman Jeon never invested in something that would result in a loss.

She sincerely hoped that there would be a reward for her trust in him.

At 3 p.m., under the eaves where the secret contract was exchanged, the afternoon sun sparkled dazzlingly.

 ˖๋ ࣭ ⭑

Raewon opened his eyes just as it passed 7 a.m.

“Ugh…… fuck.”

The first thing that came out was a curse, due to the hangover that felt like his head was splitting open. First, he untangled the heavy arms and legs entwined around his body and rolled off the bed.

With each lazy step he took, carelessly thrown-off clothes and liquor bottles were kicked by his feet. The hotel room was a complete and utter mess, a testament to how wildly he had partied the night before.

When he came out to the living room, the situation was not much different. Three or four men and women, tangled together naked as if they had had an orgy, could be seen sleeping soundly like corpses. Who were they, he stared for a moment at the faces he vaguely remembered, then quickly turned his attention away.

It did not matter who they were, as long as they had fun, that was all that mattered. Surely, they would not have had sex with him.

Raewon wet his cracking mouth, which felt as dry as a drought, with water and massaged his stiff neck. His neck stung strangely at the careless touch of his hand. When he felt it with his fingertips, he could feel the traces of skin that had become raw from being sucked on so much.

“Ah, jeez… which bastard did this.”

Raewon grumbled and rubbed his neck. He remembered getting drunk last night and moving to the hotel, but he had no memory of being skin to skin with anyone.

He hated this kind of thing.

Even Jin Raewon, who lived a promiscuous life, had his own principles. Unless he gave his permission, he would never give his body to another.

It was a fact known to all the guys he hung out with. He resolved to find the culprit later and punish whichever ballsy person had chewed him up.

He liked to play hard and spend money hard. For Jin Raewon, who could not fall asleep easily without human warmth, it was a daily routine no different from any other. He glanced nonchalantly at the scene that would make a hotel employee faint and then slowly entered the bathroom.

A while later, Raewon came out with a cleansed face after finishing his shower. He roughly wiped the water dripping from his hair with a towel.

Even after washing up, the head-splitting hangover still clung to him like a leech. He needed to cut back on the drinking. Lately, it had become frequent for him to black out from excessive drinking. Being human, he was bound to get worried.

His feet, shod in slippers, walked softly across the carpet. Avoiding the condom wrappers and liquor bottles rolling on the floor, Raewon walked to the sofa and sank helplessly onto the soft cushion. The loosely tied bathrobe was wide open, clearly revealing his fair chest and thighs, but he showed no concern whatsoever.

“Ah… what should I order?”

Raewon’s attention was solely directed at the room service menu. To soothe his queasy stomach, he needed to put something in it.

After finding a suitable menu item for a hangover cure, he contacted the front desk. After being told it would take about twenty minutes, he lazily lay down again.

“She’s quiet today.”

The silent cell phone was quite bothersome. Usually, when he stayed out all night without a word, his phone would be packed the next day with text messages from his grandmother.

Where are you, is everything okay, always be careful, don’t hang out carelessly with suspicious people, and even if you sleep outside, always have four or five people with you, that sort of thing… she was a person for whom nagging out of concern for him was a habit.

“…Could something be wrong?”

As he stared at the phone screen, which had no missed calls, let alone a single text message, a vague worry seeped in.

Then again, if something had happened, someone would have contacted him. Perhaps she had changed her way of dealing with him because he never listened to her. Raewon’s worry quickly subsided, and he dropped his phone on the sofa and returned to his lazy, natural posture.

As he was lying there like that, the piercing ring of a bell rang out. It seemed the room service had arrived. Thinking it had come faster than he had expected, Raewon raised his heavy body and sauntered over to the door.

“Just set it up anywhere over there…”

Raewon, who had opened the suite door without a second thought, suddenly stopped what he was saying and sucked in a breath. He had naturally assumed it would be a hotel employee, but standing outside the door were men clad in black suits.

“Thank you for coming out to greet us.”

The man standing at the very front of the group of men smiled brightly at Raewon. He feigned a somewhat friendly tone, but his appearance was not friendly at all. The deep knife scar engraved near his eye signified that the man’s identity was not ordinary.

“Mr. Jin Raewon.”

“Who are you people.”

“We have come to escort you. You will have to come with us.”

He had a gut feeling that they were definitely not on his side. Raewon hurriedly tried to close the door, but he was overpowered by the force pushing in with a shoulder and was sent flying back anticlimactically.

“Crazy bastards! What are you!”

“Let’s go quietly. Don’t cause a nuisance to the neighbors this early in the morning.”

“I’ll call the police, mmph! Mmmph!”

Raewon had no chance to resist before his mouth was covered by a man. As a damp handkerchief pressed down on his mouth and nose, a strong arm clamped tightly around Raewon’s chest.

Raewon thrashed his limbs frantically. He tried with all his might, thinking that he absolutely must not breathe, but his breath soon reached its limit. The moment he took a short breath, a pungent smell seeped deep into his nasal cavity. His efforts were in vain as he lost consciousness right then and there.

Manager Gu gathered the limp body and hoisted it onto his shoulder. The thin slippers on Raewon’s feet fell to the floor, 툭, 툭, and his white feet dangled in the air.

“Damn, he’s light for a male bastard.”

“Sir, you can go straight ahead. They said they’ve secured an escape route.”

“Contact the boss and tell him the package has been received. You, take care of what needs to be taken from inside.”

The men dispersed in an orderly fashion. The way they moved according to orders was no different from soldiers.

During the brief commotion, the drunks inside the suite were sleeping so soundly they had no idea what had happened. A short while later, they were woken up only after the bell announcing the arrival of room service rang noisily. Even after realizing that Jin Raewon was gone, they just said that he was such a moody person, he must have left on his own as he pleased.

It was a considerable amount of time later when Raewon regained consciousness. When he opened his eyes, it was a place he had never been to before. He did not know if it was a warehouse or a basement, but the darkness, so dim he could not discern his surroundings, naturally fanned his anxiety.

When he clenched his molars, the gag wedged between his teeth was crushed tightly. Saliva soaked the rough cloth, and both of his wrists were tied to the armrests of the chair, making it impossible to move an inch. Above all, the men who had tied him up and surrounded him reeked of criminality just from their appearances.

Was I kidnapped?

The question soon turned into one hundred percent certainty.

“Ugh, heup, heu, heup!”

The more his anxiety soared, the more his breathing became increasingly labored. Raewon shook his head and struggled as much as he could. He could not breathe properly, as if he were having a panic attack.

“Boss, what should we do, he’s going to faint again at this rate.”

One of the gang members said to Manager Gu. Manager Gu took the baton and looked at Choi Taejin. The man, who had been standing silently and observing Jin Raewon, gestured with his chin, his hands still hidden in his pants pockets.

Manager Gu, who read the meaning, immediately relayed the instruction.

“At least untie his mouth.”

Someone standing behind Raewon grabbed his head. They untied the knot with a hand that was not at all gentle. The gag that had been stretched across his lips fell out in a lump. As soon as Raewon found his freedom, he took a deep breath of much-needed air.

As oxygen circulated, his dizzy head slowly began to function properly. Raewon let out a gasp and surveyed the scene before his eyes. There were roughly twelve or thirteen well-built men. Every single one of them exuded a rough-looking air.

Then, suddenly, a man came into Raewon’s line of sight. A man in the same black suit, but with a different air. His towering height and muscular physique exuded an uncommon sense of pressure. He had a handsome appearance that one could not imagine for a gangster, but for some reason, he looked more threatening than the thug bastards around him.

Who are you people, unlike his thoughts, the words would not come out. Clear saliva dripped from Raewon’s trembling lips. Just before he was about to burst into tears, the man with the remarkable presence spoke first.

“Begin.”

The low voice that made the listener focus at once stuck in his ear. At the same time Raewon’s shoulders flinched, the men swiftly began to act.

Rough hands touched Raewon’s shoulders, arms, head, and knees. As they held his struggling body firmly, someone approached with a syringe. They lifted the hem of his bathrobe and in an instant, a pad was placed on his slender forearm.

“Hey, you fucking bastards! Who are you! Do you think you’ll get away with this? You think the police won’t find you! Let go of me! Untie me right now!”

Someone wiped the tender flesh on the inside of his elbow with a cold alcohol swab and then inserted the syringe needle. At the stinging sensation, Raewon screamed his lungs out as if his life depended on it.

“Fuck! Don’t, aaack! I said don’t!”

Blood was drawn into the empty syringe. On top of that, a handful of unknown capsule pills were shoved into Raewon’s mouth. They covered his mouth until he was forced to swallow, and Raewon cried and struggled. The soft capsule coating easily dissolved upon meeting his saliva, and only the powdered medicine remained, melting on his tongue. No matter how much he resisted, it went down his throat, gulp, gulp.

As they let go and stepped back, Raewon shrieked at the top of his lungs, as if his throat would tear.

He spewed out vicious curses, saying that if they so much as laid a single knife on his body, none of them would keep their lives, that they should just ask for a ransom instead, that if they tore out his organs, he would bite off all of their fucking dicks.

He struggled so much that the chair rattled back and forth ceaselessly. The sight was like watching a person possessed by a demon. While everyone was appalled by his unbelievably outrageous behavior, only the tall man standing in the center maintained a cold expression.

He must be an organ trafficker. Otherwise, why would they be drawing blood. Was the thing I just ate some kind of painkiller? They say you have to cut open the stomach while the person is alive to get fresh organs. Am I going to be put on an operating table soon?

Raewon, who had seen and heard many things, was gradually consumed by the fear he had brought upon himself. His whole body trembled like an aspen tree, and it was a wonder he had not peed himself. Even in the midst of it all, he did not stop screaming. It was his last shred of pride, and it was all he could do.

Raewon lifted his face, soaked with tears. He did not know about anything else, but he knew that that man was leading this affair.

How should I persuade him, how much would it take for him to give up. Please, just let me contact my grandmother. Whether it is a threat or a negotiation, I need to do something to find a way to live.

But he could not easily bring himself to speak.

The eyes that stared intently at him were as black and deep as an abyss of unfathomable depth.

Because of his grandmother, whose business was money lending, he had seen countless thug bastards, but he had never seen anyone with an aura like that. Was he even a gangster in the first place, his appearance, standing alone and noble in the mire, was difficult to identify no matter how he looked at it.

“…Who are you.”

“…….”

“Who are you to do this to me. You must have a reason for kidnapping me, is it money? Is there something you want to get from my grandmother?”

“…….”

“Fuck, are you mute? I’m dying of frustration, so say something!”

When he finally vented his fury on Taejin, everyone flinched and stiffened. Their watchful gazes slowly gathered on Taejin. A look of utter disillusionment was seeping into Taejin’s expressionless face.

He is going to get beaten up at this rate.

If Taejin were to so much as slap him once, the precious young master’s jaw would fly off in an instant. Even they, who were said to be masters of fist fighting, were no different from nobodies in front of Choi Taejin. The boss’s touch was on a different level, so much so that they did not even think he would come to his senses after being hit.

“The results are out.”

Fortunately, Manager Gu came at the right time with the blood test results. Although it was an abbreviated version, it contained enough information for Taejin to review.

Choi Taejin finally took his hands out of his pockets and stood with his legs crossed carelessly.

“Drug test is negative.”

The voice announcing the result was excessively monotonous. Raewon did not resist anymore and instead gulped down the saliva that had pooled in his mouth. He found himself unknowingly watching as the man’s dark gaze followed the letters on the result sheet all the way down.

“It’s surprising there are no STDs.”

“…….”

“For someone who played around so messily, you took good care of your body, huh?”

The words, which could not have been a compliment, sent a chill down Raewon’s spine. The smoothly stretched lips drew a diagonal line in front of his eyes, tilting upwards.

Taejin took a step forward. The long legs wrapped in suit pants were astonishingly well-shaped. The towering physique and the face, as if drawn with exquisite strokes, broke through the darkness and finally revealed their full form.

He poked Raewon’s shoulder with the corner of the clear board holding the result sheet. Even with such a slight force, his upper body tilted back as if it would fall. Raewon gripped the armrests and put strength into his eyes, trying not to be defeated.

“No matter how temporary the protection is, a check-up is basic when picking up a beast that has been rolling on the streets. I have no intention of letting something dirty into my house.”

He recited in a somewhat friendly manner. With a cold face that was far from friendly.

“You asked who I am.”

The man gave his late self-introduction only after finishing all the checks. A maturity unique to an adult man was evident on his tilted face.

“The person who will be holding your leash from now on.”

Choi Taejin. It was the moment the three letters of a name, nothing special, were deeply engraved in Raewon’s mind.

Soon after, Raewon, who heard the whole story, was so deeply shocked that he could not say anything. His grandmother had ordered this? And she had entrusted him to this man for a whole year?

His phone had been confiscated, and not only his credit cards, but Raewon’s bank accounts had also been blocked. From now on, not only would he be unable to enjoy his only hobby and the joy of his life, which was playing at night, but he would have to live like a dead mouse under the sole surveillance of Choi Taejin.

“Don’t lie. Let me call her right now.”

Jin Raewon was not one to be easily swayed by such nonsensical words. He confidently requested a call with Chairman Jeon, and Choi Taejin, surprisingly, readily agreed. Manager Gu, who was standing steadfastly by his side, made the call instead and shoved the phone in front of Raewon’s face.

— Won, my puppy. Is everything okay?

As the familiar voice came through the speaker, the sorrow he had been suppressing surged up. Raewon began to cry like a five-year-old and desperately pleaded for Chairman Jeon’s help.

“Grandma, heu, I’m so scared… some gangster-like guys caught me, tied me up, and threatened me….”

Yes, I know. My puppy, you have to listen to Director Choi, okay?

“No, grandma, I said I don’t want to be here?”

— Won. You’re twenty-one now, you should start acting your age.

The voice that had always coddled him, saying pretty, good, our one and only precious grandson in the world, instantly transformed into that of the harsh Myeongdong Moneybags, Chairman Jeon.

— Grandma has also made up her mind, so our Raewon can do well too. Director Choi won’t dote on you like Grandma does, so don’t rub him the wrong way and get along well, okay? See you in a year.

My god, Raewon shivered with a deep sense of betrayal. As he fiercely raised his eyes, which were brimming with tears, his gaze met that of the man in question, Choi Taejin.

Within his seemingly dry expression, his eyes were as sharp as ever. It seemed certain that he was an existence he could never win against.

“How can you proceed so recklessly without my consent! I can’t live like this for a year. I won’t cause any more trouble, so please take me back.”

— I’m hanging up now,

The call ended with the old woman’s characteristic chuckle. In the long ensuing silence, Raewon began to shake his body, which was tied to the chair, as if having another seizure.

“Aack! You fucking bastards! Untie me right now! I said let me go!!”

Taejin’s eyebrows twitched at the rare display of nuisance. Usually, when brought to the workshop, they would be scared and piss themselves, but this precious young master was thrashing about like a Tosa dog.

Perhaps this was how he expressed his fear.

As he was mulling over the thought, Manager Gu approached and whispered in his ear.

“Shall I bring the medicine?”

“No, is there a need to be so troublesome.”

Taejin took a bold step forward. Not only did he dominate Jin Raewon’s field of vision in an instant, but he also grabbed his white nape with one hand.

He was right, he was scared. The trembling was transmitted directly to his palm. Just one hand, the neck that seemed as if it could be broken at any moment was so long and slender.

“Cut the crap.”

With a warning, he pressed his thumb firmly on the throbbing carotid artery, and Raewon struggled immensely to escape from his strong grip. But his resistance was futile as his eyes quickly rolled back, revealing only the whites. It took only twenty seconds for his head to loll back and his fainted body to go limp.

“Move him quietly.”

“Yes!”

The men moved in an orderly fashion. As if clearing away a corpse, they wrapped Raewon’s entire body in a white cloth and carried him away. Choi Taejin lit a cigarette. He exhaled a long stream of smoke that had circulated through his lungs and quietly watched the process.

˖๋ ࣭ ⭑

“Ah… I really hope this was a dream.”

When he opened his eyes, it was another place he had never seen before.

Raewon lay spread-eagled on the bed, just blinking his eyes. He was using his brain, which he did not usually use, to figure out his situation.

He had fainted exactly twice in his life, and both times happened today. All because of one person, Choi Taejin.

It was so absurd that laughter burst out. Raewon, who had been laughing to himself like a madman, slowly sat up. After gently massaging his still aching neck, he belatedly began to look around the room.

“Wow, is he crazy?”

What was even more dumbfounding was that although it was clearly a place he had never seen before, it was not that unfamiliar.

While the place was filled with all new furniture, the items filling it were all familiar. The neatly hung clothes and belongings, even the lotion, were the same ones he used. As if Raewon’s room had been moved here in its entirety.

“He really went all out.”

Raewon swept back his disheveled hair and threw off the loosely tied bathrobe. Wearing only his underwear, he rummaged through the shelf, took out a T-shirt and long training pants, and put them on.

Even the fabric softener smell from the clothes was the same one he used at home. The familiar scent brought a sense of relief, but at the same time, a feeling of resentment surged up again. I’m going crazy with anger. You think I’ll just accept this meekly?

Raewon sat down on the edge of the bed and carefully organized his thoughts. The first thing to do was to make a plan for what to do from now on. He had no intention of following this one-sided measure.

Let’s try to go out first, I need to find out where this is.

As soon as he made that decision, his two legs shot up. He strode towards the door and threw open the worn-out door, only to find a body as big as the door blocking his way. The moment he saw the man’s rough face, Raewon made a small sound, 힉, and almost sat down.

“Young master, you’re awake?”

The fierce-looking man bared his even teeth and smiled, 씨익-, but his impression was so bad that even his smile looked threatening. Raewon stumbled backward. As he fumbled for the side with the doorknob, the man stared at Raewon’s action and then threw the door wide open.

“Come on out now. I’ve been waiting for a long time outside.”

“You, you, what are you. Who are you.”

“Ah, to introduce myself, my name is Yeo Heedo, I’m twenty-five, and I’m the one who will be exclusively serving you from now on, young master.”

Yeo Heedo clicked his tongue, 딱, and made a shooting gesture. He did it to create a friendly impression, but looking at Raewon’s stiff face, it seemed it had not worked at all.

“Yeouido?”

“It’s Heedo, anyway, have you looked around the room? I brought all the things you were using, but if there’s anything else you need.”

“Why are my things here?”

Raewon asked, his large eyes wide open.

Aigoo, how sharp…. Yeo Heedo quietly looked down at the prickly Jin Raewon. The upturned corners of his eyes on his fair, flawless skin made him look just like a Persian cat raised in a wealthy household.

Naturally, elegant and aloof cats do not easily follow people. Perhaps because he had expected it would not be easy, it did not hit him hard. Yeo Heedo scratched his neck and said.

“Chairman Jeon scraped them all up and sent them over. If you look closely, you’ll probably even find dust from that house.”

“…Grandma.”

“…….”

“Did grandma really kick me out?”

Moisture welled up in his large eyes. Just a moment ago he was acting fierce, but as soon as the venom drained away, he became just a small, cute cat. As the wounded eyes looked up at him, Yeo Heedo, for a moment, did not know what to say and stuttered, unlike himself.

“No, that is…”

He could never bring himself to say that he was sent here for his personal protection. Jin Raewon must never know this fact, and if the secret were to leak out, Yeo Heedo would surely be encased in concrete and buried in some unknown sea.

Yeo Heedo recalled Manager Gu’s strict instructions and steeled his wavering heart.

“Just think of it as coming here to recuperate for a year. Well… it may not be as good as where you were staying, but it’s quite livable here too.”

“Where is that bastard now.”

“Which bastard……”

“I said where is Choi Taejin.”

As if he had never been hurt, Raewon’s eyes narrowed again. The way he casually called out the boss’s name, which they could not even bring themselves to say, showed he was no ordinary character. Yeo Heedo swiped the tip of his nose with his index finger.

“The big boss has gone to work. He’s a busy man.”

“What work does a gangster bastard have.”

“He’s not a gangster! Our big boss, despite his appearance, holds a high position at Yoorim Construction….”

Yoorim Construction?

Raewon mulled over the familiar company name. In front of him, Yeo Heedo was giving a long speech about how great his boss was, but none of it registered in his ears.

If it was Yoorim Construction, it was a company Raewon had heard of. No, was there anyone who did not know of it?

He looked up at Yeo Heedo with a blank expression. Why is his tongue so long. So in the end, it’s a gangster company, isn’t it.

˖๋ ࣭ ⭑

He heard that besides Yeo Heedo, dozens of other gang members were living together in this house. Raewon, who had been living a life of luxury and was suddenly thrown into a gangster’s den, was busy denying the reality before his eyes. He refused the offer to be shown around the house and once again shut himself up in his room.

Not only did he not have his phone, but he did not have a single penny on him. Although there was a set period, he was in a situation where he had to stay cooped up here. Thinking about the bleak future, he felt like he was already suffocating. He could absolutely not live like this.

“Was I really that ill-mannered….”

Looking back on his past, there were parts where he felt a little guilty. But this is not it! It was right to somehow contact his grandmother and persuade her.

Raewon, who was tearing his hair out and pondering, came up with a clever idea.

Hadn’t it been said since ancient times that a hunger strike was a good way to get one’s demands met? Especially considering the gangster’s attitude of calling him young master and always checking if there was anything uncomfortable, it was obvious that he was extremely wary of Chairman Jeon.

His grandmother was someone who would make a fuss if he skipped even a single meal, so if he refused all food and drink, she would not just stand by and watch. If he were to collapse from this, she would surely appear immediately and take him away.

“…Alright, let’s see who wins.”

You dare to tame me? You’ve got to be kidding me. Raewon laughed coldly as he reflected on Choi Taejin’s vaguely remembered words. His determined eyes shone brightly for the first time in a long time.

˖๋ ࣭ ⭑

“A hunger strike?”

Choi Taejin asked back as soon as he heard the report. His cool gaze dug into the area around Manager Gu’s scarred eye.

Manager Gu felt apologetic, gripped the wrist of his hand behind his back tightly, and with difficulty, began to explain the rest of the story.

“He says he doesn’t need any water or food. He says he will continue the hunger strike until we let him meet with Chairman Jeon…… what should we do about this.”

Taejin let out a dry laugh. It seems he still can not tell heaven from earth. The thought he came up with after wracking his brain was a mere hunger strike, it was pathetic and absurd.

Taejin’s gaze returned to the documents. The documents that required his review were piled up like a mountain, and he also had to plan how to utilize Chairman Jeon’s support. It meant he had no time to play along with Jin Raewon’s preposterous antics.

“Leave him be.”

“Director, if he collapses from this, Chairman Jeon will….”

“Gu Beom.”

Taejin cut him off at once. The look in his eyes as he looked at Manager Gu was even fiercer than before. He threw the document he was reading onto the desk and crossed his long arms tightly. The creaking sound of the chair leaning back scraped his ears eerily.

“If you’re going to react to every single thing a brat does, then you take him and raise him.”

“…….”

“Is Jin Raewon royalty or something?”

“…No, sir.”

“You know better than anyone that if we go easy on him, there will be no end to it, don’t you?”

“I apologize, Director. I misspoke.”

Taejin rubbed his straight brow bone and let out a long sigh. Jin Raewon’s behavior, which had disrupted his daily life in just a few hours after bringing him here, was extremely irritating. How to break the ill-mannered brat, should he perhaps trample him down so he can not even sprout a bud, he too was deep in thought.

As Taejin took out a cigarette, Manager Gu immediately tried to take out a lighter. Refusing his service, Taejin lit it himself and, exhaling a long stream of smoke, said in a monotonous tone.

“Go and tell them, don’t give him a single sip of water until he comes crawling out on his own.”

˖๋ ࣭ ⭑

Seventy four hours into the hunger strike.

Jin Raewon was growing gaunt under his eyes, exhausted by extreme hunger.

The first few hours were bearable. Around lunchtime, Yeo Heedo stood in front of the door and anxiously pleaded with him, asking if he was really not going to eat and to come out for a bit. But that was only for a short while, from the evening on, he stopped coming altogether, and after that, for some reason, no one seemed to care about his meals.

After starving for a whole day, his stomach made hungry noises from time to time, and on the second day, his vision began to get slightly dizzy. He usually had a small appetite and was indifferent to food, so he thought a hunger strike would be an easy task, but the reality was not so simple.

From the third day, his stomach became so hollow that his belly skin felt like it was sticking to his back. His vision was all yellow and shaky. He had no strength to move and was lying limply on the bed, while Yeo Heedo occasionally knocked on the door to check if Raewon was still alive.