HRDT Ch 5

Choi Taejin, as always, finished preparing for work early in the morning.

As he sat down at the dining table looking neat, Jin Raewon was also dragged out by Yeo Huido’s hand just in time. His face was puffy and swollen, his hair shot up haphazardly defying gravity, and the reek of alcohol wafted from his sighs, making him look just like a man who had drunk himself into a stupor the night before.

The hangover must have been tremendous, as Raewon clutched his head and let out pained groans.

While he was scowling deeply, Taejin slowly lifted his gaze. As he stared intently at Raewon’s face, Yeo Huido, feeling guilty, offered a flimsy excuse.

“He just woke up… uh, I was going to have him start after he eats breakfast.”

“What…… What are you starting.”

Raewon asked in a cracked, hoarse voice. In response, Yeo Huido kept his mouth firmly shut, feigning ignorance. When Raewon glanced furtively to the front, Choi Taejin would not even meet his eyes. Raewon’s temper flared at being so consistently ignored.

“How come not a single one of you answers me.”

Raewon jabbed his spoon into the soup bowl. With one leg propped up on the chair, he shoveled in the dried pollack soup. As the hot broth flowed in, his aching stomach finally seemed to find some relief.

The way he put down the spoon and drank the soup straight from the bowl was no different from a middle aged man. Indeed, an exclamation of “Ahhh.” erupted from Raewon’s mouth.

If nothing else, living in this house had cured his small appetite. The housekeeper’s cooking was so good that Raewon always finished a bowl in a flash, as if it were his first meal every time.

His stomach was settling, but his headache showed no signs of subsiding. Raewon pressed on his throbbing forehead and asked.

“Is Director Choi okay? I feel like my head’s about to split open.”

“……”

“That alcohol… check it. You might have been tricked into buying a fake.”

At that, Choi Taejin let out a hissing laugh and said nothing more. As if hangovers were someone else’s problem, he drank his bitter coffee. The savory smell of the dried pollack soup and the rich aroma of coffee beans mixed incongruously.

Once his coffee cup was empty, Taejin pushed his chair back and got up first. Naturally, he did not wait for Raewon to finish his meal and went on his way. The sound of shuffling footsteps being dragged could be heard behind him. Raewon grumbled, asking why they kept moving him around like a piece of luggage.

“Have a good day, sir!”

Taejin left the farewell behind him and walked out the front door.

Shortly after he got into the black sedan, the heavy garage door opened. Beyond it, members of the Yurim gang were waiting, lined up in a row. The sturdy men bowed their heads politely toward the sedan. The spirited greeting was filled with fervent loyalty toward Choi Taejin.

Soon after, the sedan exited the fortress like house. Manager Goo, who was at the wheel, gave a brief report on the day’s schedule. Because he had been getting off work early recently due to Jin Raewon, Choi Taejin’s schedule was packed so tightly there was no time to even catch his breath.

The Rolls Royce sedan glided to a stop in front of the Yurim Construction office building. The car door opened and a long leg stretched out from within. Choi Taejin straightened his clothes and took a step forward.

The first floor lobby of Yurim Construction was famous for its opulence.

The marble floor had a white sheen that was almost burdensome, and the long golden molding along the walls glittered as if it were real gold. And then there were the dazzling handicrafts that decorated the spaces in between. It was hard to tell if this was Korea or the Chinese imperial palace.

What was certain was that Choi Taejin hated even looking at the lobby. It was because the tastes of Chairman Choi, who liked to show off his wealth and extravagance in everything, were fully reflected in it.

Ignoring the insane scenery of the lobby, he strode forward. Upon entering his office on the 12th floor, Choi Taejin’s own neat space finally appeared.

As soon as he entered his private office, Taejin threw off his jacket. On his desk was a pile of documents awaiting his approval. All of it was work that had piled up in a single day. On top of that, they were all things that had to be handled in the morning.

The moment he sat down, Taejin began to concentrate fiercely. The documents were densely packed with letters and numbers. Although it looked like he was just skimming through them on the surface, he unerringly found flaws in the content and calculated the risk factors. In his mind, a roadmap of the step by step process was already being drawn.

About an hour later, a short knock, knock, was heard.

“Yes.”

Taejin answered with his eyes fixed on the documents. The door opened and Manager Goo bowed his head deeply. A slight commotion could be sensed behind him.

“Director, I have brought President Kim of Bugang Togun.”

“Bring him in.”

Taejin answered calmly. While he was picking up the last document for approval, the door was thrown wide open, and a middle aged man in shabby clothes was dragged in, his arms bound. It was a scene that looked more like he had been forcefully captured than respectfully escorted.

“Director, Director Choi. I was wrong. Pl, please spare me just once. Please save me!”

President Kim prostrated himself on the floor, rubbing his hands together as if they were his feet.

How did the president of a once successful small and medium sized enterprise end up in such a state? He had not washed for days, so his body reeked of a foul smell, and his wrinkled dress shirt was stained black as if someone had trampled on it.

“Things were good when I treated you like a president, weren’t they?”

Taejin did not give President Kim a single glance. The nib of the fountain pen, scratching across the paper, glinted like a blade.

“It seems you received treatment that was far too lavish for your station.”

“Director Choi, it’s a misunderstanding! I will take responsibility for that matter……”

“You got caught backstabbing me, so why are you talking so much.”

The signed document was tossed to the side. Taejin, with the fountain pen still in his hand, shot up from his seat.

Step, step, the black dress shoes approached President Kim. When Taejin extended his hand, Manager Goo astutely handed him a pair of leather gloves.

While the fountain pen and leather gloves were being exchanged, President Kim looked up with eyes full of fear. Following the long legs up, what he saw was a strikingly handsome face.

For a moment, his jaw went slack, and his upper and lower molars chattered. Not a hint of mercy could be seen in the cool eyes. The intelligent image was all an illusion. President Kim knew what kind of cruel acts the man named Choi Taejin was capable of.

“Di, Director Choi, save me, just this once, just this one time……!”

“Your tongue is still short.”

When Choi Taejin gave a signal with his eyes, Manager Goo grabbed President Kim’s lower jaw and forced his mouth open. A tongue coated with a white film was pulled out. Terrified, President Kim realized what was happening and struggled, but his entire body was already restrained, and he could not budge an inch.

“The length is fine.”

Taejin pressed the body of President Kim’s tongue down with the fountain pen. As the sharp nib pierced the flesh, blood and black ink mixed together and began to soak the tongue. President Kim let out a grotesque scream and convulsed.

“Do you prefer horizontal or vertical.”

“Heua! Ah! Ahae!”

“If we cut it in half, he’ll keep speaking informally, so let’s go with vertical.”

The voice that murmured the cruel words was chillingly dry. Taejin pressed the fountain pen into President Kim’s tongue and forcefully scraped it down.

Rip, rip, the gruesome sound of thick flesh being forcibly torn was ghastly. Even Manager Goo, who was hardened by tempering, could not bear to watch the scene and turned his eyes away.

In excruciating pain, President Kim’s limbs trembled and his eyes rolled back in his head. Blood spurted from the forked tongue, and a few drops splattered onto Taejin’s smooth cheek. He wiped his cheek with the back of his gloved hand. Then, as if displeased, he looked down at President Kim’s sprawled form.

He fainted just from having his tongue torn a bit. If he had his way, he would have liked to work him over until his bones were crushed, but he also had no desire for his office to get dirty.

“Was President Kim right handed?”

“Yes, probably.”

“Stitch up his tongue appropriately and leave his right hand intact. He needs to be able to at least communicate with a pen.”

“Yes, boss.”

Manager Goo gestured to his underlings with his eyes.

“Move him to the workshop.”

As the short command was given, President Kim was dragged out just as he had been brought in. A trail of blood left a fishy track where he had passed.

“I’ll have it cleaned up right away.”

Manager Goo made a call somewhere. A moment later, cleaners wearing masks and blue nitrile gloves arrived, carrying a handful of professional cleaning tools.

The private office was filled with the smell of blood, but such incidents were so commonplace that they showed no signs of surprise. They just silently swept and wiped the soiled floor.

In the meantime, Taejin threw the ruined gloves and fountain pen into the trash can and took out a cigarette. Annoyance was evident in the way he slowly ran a hand through his hair. He wanted to live a respectable life, but he could not help his origins. It was his destiny to stain even his pen with blood.

Suddenly, the cell phone he had placed on his desk vibrated briefly. Taejin stubbed out his cigarette and checked the text message that had just arrived. There was no text, just a single photo. In that moment, his sharp eyes softened.

The photo sent by Yeo Huido showed Jin Raewon’s back as he was cleaning his room. His pout was so prominent that even though his back was turned and his facial features were not clearly visible, his puffy lower lip was captured distinctly in the photo.

What a pain in the ass.

Taejin unwittingly let out a small laugh. At the sound of the deflating laugh, an employee who had been diligently mopping lifted his head. The man, who had been stoic even after seeing blood, blinked his eyes as if he had seen a ghost upon seeing Director Choi’s smile.

---

“Young Master.”

As the room cleaning was nearing completion, Yeo Huido called out in a relaxed voice.

Raewon instinctively narrowed his eyes sharply. In front of the person glaring daggers at him, Yeo Huido rummaged through his pocket.

“The big boss said to give this to you.”

A single one thousand won bill came out of an old wallet. He took it since it was being given to him, but he had no idea why.

“What’s this?”

“He said it’s your allowance.”

When Yeo Huido recited the text message he had just received, Raewon stared at the ceiling for a while without a word.

“Wow… he’s really pissing me off, for real.”

He was already mad as hell about being forced to clean, and now he was being teased? A long sigh made the bangs covering his forehead flutter.

Raewon quickly snatched the cell phone from Yeo Huido’s hand. Before Yeo Huido could stop him, he pressed the number of the person who had sent the text. The dial tone rang briefly, and then a low voice that echoed in his ear was heard from the other side of the receiver.

—What is it.

It was unmistakably Choi Taejin’s voice.

“Director Choi, are you messing with me right now? Are you giving me charity? What’s with one thousand won! If you’re going to do this, you might as well not give me anything at all. Are you trying to get on my nerves?”

As Raewon shrieked, a sudden laugh was heard. Raewon pulled the phone away from his ear and checked again to make sure he had called Choi Taejin. ……He had? Why the hell is he laughing?

“Did you eat something bad? Or are you still drunk?”

—You’re a real piece of work.

“I told you. I’m telling you, that alcohol is really suspicious. If your head hurts, take some medicine. Don’t go provoking an innocent person.”

—I’ll give you an allowance whenever you do something good from now on. So you should try to live with less of a temper too.

“What’s the point of getting money. I can’t go out and spend it.”

—If you want to spend money, wait quietly at home.

If I wait… is there some kind of reward? Raewon’s nose twitched. His pride was quite hurt, but a sense of anticipation began to well up inside him against his will. He stopped grumbling and quietly waited for the words that would follow.

—And if you ever use a cell phone without my permission again. You and Yeo Huido, you’ll both be toast.

As if he had never laughed, a cool voice was transmitted through the receiver. Choi Taejin left those words and hung up the phone.

That stubborn bastard. He never lets anything slide.

Raewon glared at the innocent screen for a while before handing the phone back to its original owner. Yeo Huido, unbefitting his large frame, clutched the phone tightly and stomped his big feet.

“What did he say? The boss is angry, right!”

“I don’t know.”

Raewon plopped down on the sofa and crossed his arms tightly. He calmed his excitement and calmly stared at the wall clock.

It was only 10 in the morning. There were still five hours left until quitting time.

He decided to wait for Choi Taejin, just in case.

That day, Choi Taejin did not come home until after 10 at night. He was a full seven hours later than usual.

Jin Raewon was on the verge of dying from anger. He was about to explode with rage at the fact that he had fallen for such a pathetic temptation and had been waiting for him until this late hour.

Though no one had told him to, he stomped his feet and came out to the entrance to greet him. He stood right in front of him, his large eyes flashing, and glared at Choi Taejin.

A bored and weary gaze swept over Raewon’s face. Taejin, who was just about to take off his shoes, let out a short “Ah.” as if he had just remembered something.

That insincere first word was enough to snap Raewon’s frayed nerves.

“Ah? Ah— Ah? Are you kidding me right now?”

When Raewon glared with daggers in his eyes, Taejin pushed his freed heel back into his shoe. The man, now in his original neat state, gestured toward Raewon with a jerk of his chin.

“Come on out.”

“Huh?”

“You said you wanted to go spend money.”

At the casual suggestion, Raewon stared blankly at Choi Taejin’s face for a moment, dazed. After he had been standing there blankly for several minutes, the man let out a short sigh and rubbed the heels of his shoes together again. The shoe was about to come off.

“If you don’t want to, forget it.”

“No, I don’t not want to! Let’s go now!”

Raewon, worried he might change his mind, quickly opened the shoe cabinet door. Even while cramming his feet into his expensive sneakers, he only watched Choi Taejin’s mood. As if he had never been angry, an eye smile unknowingly formed on his face. What good was pride, when he was being taken out.

Right now, Choi Taejin was the kindest man in the world. So much so that a halo seemed to shine around his face.

He even felt a little emotional as he stepped out of the main gate. It was the same night air, but it felt somehow different. Refreshing, perhaps.

Hah, this is the smell of freedom…. Raewon spread his arms and took a deep breath. A lungful of cigarette smoke flowed in.

Wondering who was disturbing his ecstatic mood, he glanced to the side and saw Choi Taejin smoking a cigarette. He exhaled a long stream of smoke and looked at Raewon’s antics with a pathetic expression.

“You really smoke a lot.”

“……”

“You’re going to get a hole in your lung if you keep that up. You’re old, so you need to take care of your body. They say excessive smoking is a cause of erectile dysfunction.”

Taejin snorted openly. On the contrary, as if to show him, he blew smoke toward Raewon’s face. Raewon, a non smoker, took the full brunt of the cigarette smoke pouring into his face and squeezed his eyes shut. That rude gangster bastard… I might just ram into him.

But for now, he did not want to ruin his excited mood, so he just endured it. It was definitely not because he could not stand up to Choi Taejin.

Raewon shook his head to disperse the hazy cigarette smoke that had collected. As he trudged down the smoothly paved asphalt road, the black dress shoes also began to move in step with Raewon.

Unfortunately, the cigarette smoke kept drifting toward Raewon with the wind. Thinking it was pointless to bother pointing it out, Raewon decided to put some distance between them. Just as he was about to take a step to the side, he was grabbed by the collar and dragged along by Taejin.

“Where do you think you’re trying to pull a fast one.”

“What, I didn’t do anything!”

“Don’t even think about getting more than 30cm away. If you try to run, I’ll crush both your ankles.”

The irises, darker and blacker than the night sky, glinted menacingly. Raewon sniffled and stood right next to him. Not because he was scared, but because he had no choice. It was true that Choi Taejin held his leash, and he had to follow his words well to get a reward.

Still, looking at the cool night air and the wide open sky, his stuffy heart was relieved to some extent. Raewon walked slowly to enjoy the freedom given to him for a long time.

Along with the sound of his trudging feet, the sound of dress shoes echoed at the same pace. Fortunately, Choi Taejin did not make any particular comment about him walking slowly.

Before long, a convenience store, perched alone on one side of a shabby building, came into view. Could this even be called a convenience store. The old sign and faded exterior looked like a small neighborhood store in some rural village.

Fortunately, though it was small, the inside had the semblance of a convenience store. As he stepped inside, Raewon’s eyes sparkled in front of the secular world he had encountered after a long time. As if he were a three year old child who had come to a convenience store for the first time.

“Choose.”

Only when Taejin’s permission was given did he hesitantly take a step. Raewon carefully looked around the inside of the store. While clutching the crumpled one thousand won bill preciously.

First, he approached the refrigerated section to buy the brand of coffee he wanted to drink the most. An unbelievable number was written on the price tag the size of a postage stamp.

Moving one step to the side, he looked at the milk section this time. Banana milk is 1,500 won?

“The prices are insane…. How did the Korean economy get to this point.”

He was not choosing what to buy, but experiencing an era of high prices. It was hard to find ice cream and snacks under one thousand won, and the squid legs he used to buy often at the school store in high school were nearly 3,000 won.

As time passed, his heart grew heavy. Raewon only fiddled with the bill in his hand.

He had never looked at a price tag in his life. Why bother when he had a card. The past, when he would just buy whatever he wanted on a whim, felt like a distant past life.

Raewon stopped in front of the counter and just let out a long sigh. When he glanced back, a man whose appearance did not fit the shabby store at all was staring right at him.

“…Director Choi, can you lend me ten thousand won?”

“Live within your means.”

As expected, it did not work at all. He had not expected him to grant his request anyway. Raewon, with renewed determination, scanned the counter thoroughly. There must be something. I’m really going to spend all my money today. Even though he only had a thousand won, his consumer psychology burned fiercely.

When he came out of the convenience store, all that was in Raewon’s hand was a single yogurt drink and a piece of bubble gum. It was the most pathetic shopping trip in Jin Raewon’s entire life, but the satisfaction was beyond words.

On the way back home, Raewon sipped on his straw and walked with a cheerful step. Having made a big decision, he even offered one of the mere five pieces of bubble gum to Choi Taejin. He only took the gum but did not put it in his mouth.

The alley, lit by streetlights, was quiet and peaceful. Whenever the wind blew, a deep fragrance wafted from the blossoming acacia trees. Choi Taejin was next to him, and far behind, Yeo Huido and Manager Goo were following as if on watch, but Raewon just felt comfortable in this moment.

“Thanks for bringing me out. I feel like I can really live now.”

Letting out a breath he had been holding, Raewon confessed his honest feelings. Choi Taejin looked down, as if surprised.

“You know how to say thank you too.”

“Yeah. Because it’s true that I’m thankful.”

“I’ll price it for you every time you do something good from now on. Think of it as earning an allowance.”

At those words, Raewon’s steps came to a halt. When his staring gaze seemed unusual, Taejin’s eyes also sharpened. He asked curtly, “What?”

“You’re really treating me like a kid, aren’t you?”

“If you don’t like it, forget it.”

Taejin threw the heartless words and turned his head straight. As he was about to start walking again, Raewon grabbed his arm.

“I’ll do it, I said I’ll do it!”

He was so desperate that even the fingers gripping the collar were tight.

“But isn’t a thousand won a bit too much? Director Choi, you saw it too. The prices are no joke. A thousand won is not nearly enough.”

“Isn’t that something you can solve by living diligently?”

His words were annoying, but he could not refute them. Raewon just sucked on the straw. A gurgling sound echoed from the yogurt container, which was empty and had nothing left to come out.

As Raewon remained stopped, still holding onto his collar, Taejin ruffled his own bangs as if annoyed. A tired sigh escaped from between his smooth lips.

“Just hold out for 100 days. If you stay quiet without causing trouble, I’ll grant you one thing you want.”

“……Huh?”

“But it has to be on a common sense level. Something I would be able to permit.”

At the unexpected proposal, Raewon’s eyes grew so large they looked like they would spill over at any moment. Color bloomed on his white cheeks and his lips parted in a slight smile.

Seeing the face that bloomed in an instant, Taejin had to harden his expression for a moment.

“Huido! Did you hear that?”

When Raewon turned around and shouted, Yeo Huido, who was standing far away, made a circle with his fingers. It seemed he had heard the entire conversation because the alley was so quiet.

“You promised me! No taking it back later!”

He was so excited that he was panting. Taejin looked at the flushed face and frowned slightly.

“You’re already making me want to take it back.”

“You’re such a harsh person. If you glare like that, pollen will get in your eyes.”

“……”

“Alright. I’ll compose myself.”

Raewon smiled, his eyes curving into crescents. The bright smile came from a place of sincerity.

“But it’s okay to talk to you, right?”

Instead of replying, Choi Taejin took out a cigarette. It was unclear whether he was being considerate of Raewon by just holding the unlit cigarette between his teeth, or if he just had it there because his mouth was bored. But it was nice that the smell of cigarettes did not mix with the strong scent of acacia at that moment.

Raewon took a leisurely step and asked.

“Were you very busy today?”

“……”

“It’s not hard to let me know if you’re going to be late. Please think about the person who’s at home waiting only for Director Choi.”

A long silence followed. Just as only the sound of footsteps continued, Taejin broke the perfectly fine cigarette and replied, “Okay.”

When the unexpected answer came, his chest felt strangely ticklish. Raewon lightly scratched his chest and looked straight ahead.

Perhaps because he felt awkward, his steps quickened without him realizing it, and just as he was about to dart forward, a long arm inevitably reached out and snatched the nape of his neck. In the end, he had no choice but to walk pressed right up against Taejin’s side.

The nighttime stroll was unsettling his mind more than necessary. The clean night air and Choi Taejin walking in step beside him.

Day by day, it became more difficult for Raewon to figure out whether the man standing next to him was someone protecting him, or someone who had pushed him into a pit.

At least one thing was certain, being with Choi Taejin was no longer uncomfortable.

˖๋ ࣭ ⭑

After that day, Jin Raewon had an awakening. He woke up well without being woken up in the morning, polished off his breakfast with ease, and even saw Choi Taejin off to work on his own.

Today, he even took out the shoes Choi Taejin would wear and placed them in front of the entrance. After arranging the shoes neatly at an angle, he crouched down and looked up at Choi Taejin.

It was a face that was clearly asking for praise. In response, Taejin gave him an indifferent look.

“That just now was two hundred won.”

Raewon was so dumbfounded that he stared straight at Taejin. Stingy bastard, petty little man, a bastard who would mix soy sauce with rice to save money. His silent gaze contained all sorts of curses. As if reading them all, Taejin’s expression grew even colder.

“I don’t like your expression. Three hundred won deducted.”

Raewon squeezed his eyes shut. All sorts of curses welled up inside him, but he barely managed to swallow them. He could not lose the allowance he had so painstakingly collected. He etched the character for patience in his mind three times and slowly straightened his legs.

“Have a good day. Be careful of cars. And smoke in moderation, okay?”

Even though his stomach was twisting, he did not forget to say his farewell. Taejin let out a small, dry laugh. He soon opened the front door and left. Only the scent of Choi Taejin’s fine perfume lingered in the small space.

“Wow, our young master has become a new man.”

Yeo Huido, who had been watching, clapped and rejoiced. That sight was not enjoyable at all. Raewon sighed as if the ground would collapse. With his back turned, he just messily ruffled his own innocent hair.

“Huido… it’s really hard to earn money.”

“You’re doing well. If you just keep it up like this, you’ll be rich in no time!”

“How much have I saved?”

“Um, well, you know… so so.”

The pocket money he was earning in small change was so little that it could crush Raewon’s motivation if he was not careful. Yeo Huido spoke evasively and left the spot.

“Where are you going! I asked how much! Is it enough for me to buy a banana milk?”

Raewon shouted at the receding back. It had only been a week since he started earning his allowance. In truth, he was looking forward to the 100th day more than the allowance that was steadily accumulating. Just thinking about what he would demand from Choi Taejin made the day bearable.

From straightening the bed covers to folding the clothes he had taken off, and even cleaning his room. Raewon carried out the small chores without a word of complaint. It went without saying that he pestered Yeo Huido to take proof shots, and he also watched like a hawk from the side to make sure they were sent to Choi Taejin immediately.

“What’d he say?”

“He hasn’t even read it, sir.”

“Hilarious. As if he’s the busiest person in the world.”

Gaining Choi Taejin’s attention was no easy feat. Yeo Huido defended his boss, saying he was so busy he did not have a moment to spare, but Raewon sharpened his gaze every time. Does he do all the work alone? Would the company not run without him? Badmouthing Choi Taejin with a pouting mouth was one of Raewon’s morning routines.

Even while grumbling, he continued with his tasks. He was currently in the middle of trimming bean sprouts. The bean sprouts in the plastic basket were piled up like a mountain.

As he removed the thin root hairs one by one, the green smell never left Raewon’s fingertips. Later on, his fingertips began to ache to the point of becoming raw.

When doing repetitive work, chatting becomes a necessity. Raewon flicked a yellowed bean sprout head with his index finger and asked.

“What is the path that Choi Taejin wants, anyway? Does he want to become the boss of the Yurim gang, or the head of Yurim Construction?”

“Aren’t they both the same thing?”

“What is he even doing?”

“I don’t know that either…. I’m here trimming bean sprouts, how would I know what’s going on at the company.”

Yeo Huido mutters in a sullen voice. The sight of him plucking bean sprout roots, unbefitting his large frame, was quite pitiful even to Raewon’s eyes. But who was in a position to worry about whom right now. He had his own problems to deal with.

“Cheer up. I’ll buy you something tasty when I get my allowance. He said this one basket is 3,000 won.”

“Just don’t go smashing the bean sprouts. You’ve messed up the bodies so much there’ll be nothing left to eat.”

In reality, Yeo Huido was doing more of the work. He trimmed the bean sprouts quickly with his thick hands. While doing so, he even hummed a tune. All things considered, Yeo Huido also did not find the time spent with Jin Raewon to be so bad.

The bean sprouts trimmed like that were served on the lunch table. Raewon polished off the bean sprout soup and bean sprout side dishes, which Mrs. Haeju had cooked with her delicious skill, without leaving a single bite.

His stomach was full, and it was a time when the sun was shining brightly, so Raewon headed to his private bench set up in the empty lot. He lay down carelessly on the hard wooden bench and leisurely opened a book.

One might wonder why he was reading, which was out of character, but the book Yeo Huido had brought him was surprisingly interesting. 『The Pure and Innocent Delinquent-BEST!』—for starters, the title itself was unusual.

The novel’s direction was clear, pursuing fun over plausibility. Raewon was soon completely absorbed in the content, flipping through the pages 정신없이. The lewd scenes were enough to fill him with dopamine in their own way, and the fight scenes were enough in their own way as well.

“Is it fun?”

“…Yeah. The delinquent jjang is so cool.”

Raewon temporarily placed the book he was about halfway through face down on his chest. With a deeply impressed face, he stared blankly up at the sky. Before long, he raised his own hand and held it up still. The main character in the novel also went around beating up kids with a delicate hand just like this, and that was pretty cool.

“Should I learn too? How to throw a punch?”

“Oh, should I teach you a little something?”

Yeo Huido grinned, revealing his strong white teeth. As if to show off, he revealed his well built forearm in front of Raewon.

“When it comes to fists, it’s Yeo Huido.”

“…Wow, I immediately don’t want to do it.”

“You never stick with anything. Even from my perspective, young master, you don’t have enough physical activity. Using your body is much better than just lying around… Ah, no, that won’t do. First, you have to go get permission.”

Yeo Huido, who had been chattering away, suddenly flinched his shoulders. The way he completely changed his attitude showed just how afraid he was of Choi Taejin.

“Is this something I need to get permission for?”

“Absolutely not until the big boss gives his permission!”

“Alright. I can just ask him.”

What’s the big deal. Raewon let out a huff and tilted his head back.

It was not like he was asking to leave the house, just to hang around a temporary building and learn how to fight a bit. Surely he would not oppose it. Raewon fixed his gaze back on the book. The delinquent jjang was currently on the verge of being dragged away by a group of villains to lose his backdoor virginity. This content was more important than Choi Taejin’s permission.

Choi Taejin, as always, came home around 3 in the afternoon. His face, somewhat tired from fatigue, turned chilly the moment he saw Jin Raewon standing politely in front of the entrance.

The smiling face was highly suspicious. But today, there had been many things that had eaten away at his sanity, so he did not want to deal with Jin Raewon’s silly tricks one by one.

Taejin pretended not to see him and walked past Raewon, up the stairs.

He went into his room and was starting to loosen his stuffy necktie when the door was thrown open. Jin Raewon, who had opened the door without permission, made a sound of “Oops.” and closed the door again. Before long, a knock, knock, was heard.

He might be a blockhead, but it seemed he had the ability to learn. Taejin let out a light, dry laugh and then replied in a dry voice.

“Come in.”

Only then does the door open. Raewon peeked his face through the crack in the door and asked tentatively.

“Can we talk for a moment?”

“Finish in five minutes.”

Taejin did not bother to hide his fatigue. As he continued to take off his necktie with a furrowed brow, Raewon cautiously approached, taking the hint.

“I helped the housekeeper trim bean sprouts today. It was really a mountain of them, this much. It took a whole hour.”

“……”

It was content he had already been briefed on. Taejin did not give him a single glance and unbuttoned the cuffs of his shirt. While he calmly rolled up his sleeves, Raewon only licked his dry lips. Taejin’s more subdued atmosphere than usual made him instinctively check his expression.

“It was really hard.”

“……”

“You see, right, my hands are all raw. Those bean sprouts are no ordinary fellows. You have to pull out each and every root.”

“So what.”

Unable to listen anymore, Taejin glared fiercely. Jin Raewon was holding out both hands, telling him to look at his fingers.

His antics were nothing new, but today they felt particularly annoying.

“Do you need money?”

“Who’s asking for money? Do you see me as someone crazy for money?”

“I’m not in the mood to deal with you. Just state your business.”

“Is it so hard to praise me for doing a good job?”

Hah, a deep sigh escaped on its own. As expected, there was not a single corner of Jin Raewon that he liked.

Taejin lifted his weary gaze. He hated it when someone was being annoying next to him. And he was not the type to put up with it.

He wanted to kick him out right away, but when he actually saw Jin Raewon’s thoroughly angry face, his energy drained away.

“You did well.”

Anyone could tell it was a tone of just throwing words out there. Raewon dropped the hands he had been holding out until then and took another step toward Choi Taejin.

“There’s no sincerity at all.”

“Did you come in here just to get a compliment?”

“Don’t you know that even if it’s a forced compliment, how you do it changes how the listener feels? Do you think they made adjectives like ‘pretty’ and ‘good’ for no reason?”

“Even a passing dog knows you’re pretty.”

“……”

A moment of silence fell. Raewon now looked only at Taejin with clear eyes. The meaning in his sparkling eyes was clear. It was the look of someone who had caught onto something.

“I didn’t know, that Director Choi thought of me that way….”

“If your business is done, get out.”

Despite the cold reply, Raewon just grinned without any sign of intimidation. The eyes that folded into half moon shapes were extremely charming. Raewon picked up Taejin’s necktie that had been dropped beside him. The glossy black necktie was wound around his white hand.

“You know…. being at home all the time is boring and time doesn’t pass. There’s not much I can do here. They say using your body is the best way to kill time, what do you think, Director Choi?”

“That again?”

Taejin tilted his head back slightly and let out a long sigh.

“I have no intention of sleeping with you.”

“Hmm? I’m not talking about sex, though?”

Raewon blinked his wide eyes. What is he talking about…? As he muttered to himself, Taejin immediately covered his face with his palm and spat out a curse. For some reason, the more they talked, the more he felt like he was being drawn in.

“It’s okay. It happens. I also often have lewd thoughts in my head.”

“Ha, fuck.”

“The Yurim gang guys use their bodies and stuff over in that annex building. I was wondering how it would be if I joined them. Yeo Huido told me to get Director Choi’s permission first.”

At those words, Taejin was finally able to cool his head. He glared fiercely at Raewon and said.

“What can you do there?”

“Throw punches.”

Raewon clenched both fists tightly. He must have seen and learned it somewhere, as the width of his stance was stable, giving him a rather sturdy appearance.

The sight was so dumbfounding that a laugh escaped. Taejin glanced at Raewon as if he were pathetic.

“What bullshit.”

“You could see it as practical bullshit.”

“You’re going to mix with them and learn to throw punches? You won’t last a single day.”

“You won’t know until you try.”

Raewon replied with considerable confidence. In truth, it was not a story he had just thrown out without any basis.

“I may look like this, but I took taekwondo when I was young. I’m a black belt, in my own way.”

“What degree black belt.”

“What degree is a yellow belt?”

“……”

It was not even worth a reply. Taejin let out a long breath and turned around.

How would Jin Raewon change if he mingled with the incomparably rough gangsters? It was hard to picture.

Would he be tainted by violence, that young master who grew up like a delicate flower? He would do a great job of throwing punches with his soft hands that had no calluses.

Still, it was not a completely useless proposal. It was standard practice to drain the energy of kids who usually act out by making them exercise. If it were the usual Jin Raewon, he would have just done it first and dealt with the consequences later, but the fact that he came to ask for permission first was quite commendable.

“Just try it for now.”

As permission was granted, a bright light spread across Raewon’s face. Taejin silently stared at that face.

The sparkling eyes, the roundly risen cheekbones, the parted lips. Faced with 100 percent pure joy, he was simply at a loss for words. Choi Taejin had no immunity to such a harmless expression.

“Director Choi, the more I see you, the more I think you’re a really great person. As expected, you’re very generous.”

“Just don’t go there and cause any unnecessary trouble.”

“Of course.”

Raewon left the room as if he had no more business. Thud, as soon as the door closed, it was thrown open again. Raewon, holding the doorknob, poked his face in.

“If you get horny, tell me anytime. If Director Choi wants to do it, I’ll consider it too.”

Raewon acted nonchalantly, as if he were willing to help. With a wink to boot.

As Taejin’s gaze became even more menacing than before, Raewon quickly closed the door. In the room that had been turned upside down, only an enraged Choi Taejin was left alone.

“Ha, that little….”

He rubbed his face with a hand tinged with annoyance. The fact that he had lost his composure and been swayed by someone so much younger was deeply displeasing. What was he doing. Words, and even laughter, would not come out. Since when, in front of Jin Raewon, sides of himself he did not know were popping out.

˖๋ ࣭ ⭑

Raewon, with Yeo Huido by his side as if he were his right hand man, headed majestically toward the temporary building. With Choi Taejin’s permission granted, there was nothing that could stop him.

Screech—the sound of the rusty iron door opening was already ominous. Raewon, who had taken a step inside, momentarily stopped in his tracks at the pungent smell of sweat. The face that had been full of laughter contorted.

“Ugh, what is this… what is this smell! Did someone die?”

It was not a joke, it really smelled like a rotting corpse. The smell that pierced the tip of his nose was so foul that he felt a reflexive wave of nausea.

“Not at all. This is what you might call the smell of effort.”

Yeo Huido took another step forward and puffed out his chest. As if he were immune to the sour smell of sweat, his complexion did not change even as he took a deep breath.

“And the smell of a rotting corpse is different from this.”

Yeo Huido left a meaningful remark and forcibly dragged the stiffly frozen Jin Raewon inside. Inside, the members of the Yurim gang were gathered together, each engrossed in sweating.

Guys sparring with their bare fists, guys hitting a punching bag, even guys swinging knives in the air. Their appearances were diverse.

When Jin Raewon appeared, they all stopped what they were doing and looked back. In the silence that felt as if time had stopped, gazes full of警戒심 flew and struck Raewon.

At the sharp gazes of the gangsters, Raewon’s shoulders automatically hunched. He was human too, so he knew how to read the room.

As he fidgeted, unlike his usual self, Yeo Huido led Raewon to a corner. A worn and tattered mat was laid out on the floor.

“What do you want to learn?”

Only then was Raewon able to regain a little of his spirit. He was still frowning because he had not yet adapted to the foul smell, but his stooped posture had become quite straight.

“What are you good at, Huido? What’s your major.”

“My specialty is knives, sir.”

He had heard that Yeo Huido’s parents ran a livestock wholesale business in Majang dong. Having been born with a silver spoon of meat, he had grown up watching butchering since he was young, and thanks to that, he was said to have a knack for handling knives.

“But you can’t handle a knife, young master. Absolutely not.”