DS Ch 7

“No…, no.”

Eun-myeong shook his head vigorously. It had been a long time since he had had a haircut, so his hair grew out like a neglected puppy, poking his eyes as he shook head. He clenched his damp hands tightly.

“Why are you so scared?”

The man told him not to be scared and stroked Eun-myeong’s cheek with the back of his hand. It seemed like a comforting gesture, the man’s firm touch slowly brushed against Eun-myeong’s nerves like a creeping spider, causing his every hair to stand on end.

“I-I’m not scared at all…”

A cold sweat broke out on Eun-myeong’s forehead. Despite saying otherwise, he was thoroughly frightened.

“Kid, you’re sweating bullets…”

The man came closer, leaning his forearm on the table. The strong smell increased the density even more. His strong muscles stood out against his black shirt. It was menacing as a meticulously carved stone.

“Is it wet down there too?”

What’s he talking about by ‘down there’? Eun-myeong wiggled his hips unnecessarily as his head was soaked in confusion. The floor was warm from the fire, and before he knew it, he was drenched to the bone. Could this man know that his ‘down there’ was getting wet because he was nervous…?

“I really don’t know anything, I swear, it’s my first time seeing it.”

Eun-myeong tilted his head slightly downward. His long eyelashes covered his large pupils like a curtain over a window. He couldn’t bring himself to meet the man’s gaze, fearing he might peer into his soul.

The powder that poured around the dismantled crab sparkled in the light of the lamp. The man dips his index finger into the powder and holds it out in front of Eun-myeong.

“This mister was on a business trip to Hong Kong. While I was away, some bastard put an Omega stimulant at the nightclub.”

Eun-myeong looked down at the man’s hand in silence.

“When I caught the porter and beat him until he confessed. He said he came from here?”

The man tapped the table with his index finger.

“What do you think about it?”

The pieces were broken into several pieces and scattered around seemed to be forming some sort of picture. The boss who was dead in the yard, the sister who disappeared as if running away, the mysterious customer, even the drug inside the crab shell… It felt like everything in front of him was suddenly empty.

The owner of the raw fish restaurant was lazy and indolent, but he always got the fish himself. The employees used to joke around saying that he was a money grubber and that he was afraid they would steal the fish.

But now, the thought crossed his mind that it might not be that simple….

Just a few days ago, Eun-myeong had filled the tank for the last time. Knowing the boss would never return, he took it upon himself to pour the crabs into the tank.

“It might not have been my sister.”

Eun-myeong blurted out as if pushed by someone.

“The boss could have done it alone, or maybe with someone else.”

Eun-myeong quickly hid the scene that came in a corner of his mind and hung his head, thinking that it couldn’t be like that. Eun-myeong shook his head. No. It couldn’t be.

“My sister wouldn’t do something like that.”

Emotions surged within him.

“Shh.”

The man made a sound as if releasing a breath through his lips. A warm breeze brushed against his skin. A shiver ran down Eun-myeong’s spine like a sudden gust of wind over a bare spine.

“That’s for this mister to figure out.”

It was a warning not to cross the line anymore. This was something we keep a secret between us, the man added.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of. All you have to do is listen carefully to what I say and let me know when your sister contacts you.”

His voice was calm. The warm hand gently wrapped around Eun-myeong’s neck before caressing him. It was a slow touch that could almost be mistaken for affectionate.

“Hmm?”

The man won’t accept any rejection at all. How could he possibly shake his head in rejection in a situation like this? Eun-myeong, as if being led by an invisible hand, nodded slightly.

“Good.”

A peculiar smile stretched across his lips. The man, as if finally feeling some appetite, rolled up the sleeves of his black shirt. His uncouth wrists were adorned with a silver watch, snugly wrapped around.

The man tore into the crab, chewing voraciously. The pitiful crab shattered into pieces against his strong jaw, crumbling down in torrents. Eun-myeong watched as the tender white flesh of the crab disappeared with a slurp. His teeth, appearing so sturdy, tore through the soft flesh effortlessly. It seemed as if the entire crab would be devoured as is.

Sister.

He must never allow his sister to come face to face with this man.

* * *

Eun-myeong hurriedly returned home, his mind in turmoil. Hastily unlocking the door, he stepped inside the house.

Under the dim moonlight, the eerie marks scattered across the yard scratched painfully at Eun-myeong’s eyes. Even though he wanted to believe it was just a dream, those marks testified that the night was anything but a simple nightmare.

“…”

The owner of a raw fish restaurant has died. And, being the idiot that he is, he couldn’t even report it to the police. If someone were to come in and see… it would undoubtedly be suspicious.

A great worry sweeps over Eun-myeong. Should he erase it? … No, then the evidence would be completely gone. It might be better to cover it with something. What should he cover it with? A box? A rug?

…Ah, something popped into his mind. Eun-myeong went inside and retrieved something he had left in one corner of the room. It was a fishing net.

Eun-myeong did so many different things that it felt like there was nothing he wouldn’t do if it made money. Sometimes he juggled two, or even three, jobs. One of them was making fishing nets. It was a job he had picked up from the old fishermen, offering him a way to work without being constrained by time while working at the seafood restaurant.

“…”

Eun-myeong never thought he would use this at a time like this. Eun-myeong spread the casting net wide and covered the yard. Although there were holes, it was enough to not be noticeable.

“…Ha.”

Then he closed the door and trudged into the room.

He picked up the old, faded telephone, scanning the surroundings once more. He glanced at the window, then at the door. The eerie rural village was engulfed in darkness, with only the chirping of crickets echoing.

He pressed the buttons firmly, one by one. It was a call to his sister. In truth, he didn’t hold much hope. He had tried several times before, but each time, he only heard the response that her cellphone was turned off.

“Three, eight…”

Pressing the last number with a feeling of desperation, an unexpected ringing filled his ears. Eun-myeong straightened his posture quickly. Please, please answer… he silently prayed.

Then, suddenly, the connection sound that had been ringing like a whirlpool stopped. And there was a suffocating silence.

“Noona…”

Eun-myeong grasped the handset tightly with both hands. It was a desperate gesture, as if clutching onto a last straw.

“Where on earth are you?”

He longed to hear her voice, but there was no response from the other end. Could she be in a situation where she couldn’t speak? Eun-myeong lowered his voice slightly.

“Are you unable to talk right now?”

Then just listen, he added softly.

“You’ve been eating, right? You’re not in a cold place with your health like this…?”

His voice began to waver. It had been such a long-awaited moment. Afraid that his voice might falter, Eun-myeong cleared his throat and raised his voice a bit more.

“Have you been to the hospital? How’s your leg? Are you still taking your medication?”

He murmured for a while, but there was no response from the other end.

A moment of silence passed, and Eun-myeong cautiously parted his lips. There was a cold, damp sound. Although his heart was filled with questions he wanted to ask, it was crucial to say what was most important right now.

“You know, there was a man who came to our house.”

Eun-myeong couldn’t bring himself to continue. There were so many words on the tip of his tongue. That man had killed the owner, and now he was looking for his sister. How could he possibly deal with the fact that he’s continuously searching for her, wanting to find her whereabouts?

But the only words that Eun-myeong could repeatedly mull over, the only ones he could offer, were these.

“Never let yourself get caught by those thugs. Don’t come back.”

Eun-myeong pleaded incessantly. She must never get caught. Debts or anything else didn’t matter. Even if tomorrow a gangster were to kick down the door and drag him away, it didn’t matter.

“That man seems like a really scary thug.”

Really, really scary. He’s got a big mouth, tattoos on his hands, and the people he hangs around with seem like thugs. Eun-myeong rambled on, trying his best to convey the man’s frightening presence.

But then it happened. From the other end he could hear a scoff.

The strangely sticky wind sounded like it was licking inside his ears. Eun-myeong froze in place. Did he hear it wrong?

“Noona?”

When Eun-myeong called again, the phone was immediately hung up.

For the next few minutes, Eun-myeong couldn’t let go of the phone. Moonlight seeped into the room, casting a pale glow over Eun-myeong.

It was as if he was possessed by something.