M 3

The appearance of a stranger at such a timely moment was naturally suspicious. Sehwa and everyone else must have thought the same way. Wasn’t this a typical tactic used to deceive and exploit unsuspecting victims during construction? However, given the circumstances, no one dared to speak up, except for the boss who was delighted by himself. He was too preoccupied with ordering things like placing a new nameplate engraved with the title of Chairman in his office or asking for a nice room for their new director.

Sehwa has been memorizing the drug distribution network in recent years. However, even after looking into various organizations, it was difficult to find the young talented dealer that everyone was talking about. No, it wasn’t just difficult—it was simply impossible. If there had been a newly established organization that was doing so well, the boss would have taken care of it long ago. If you don’t step on it at the right time, you’re bound to be swallowed up by it.

However, the boss, driven by the newfound title of Chairman and having someone like a director under him, seemed to be intoxicated as if he had taken some sort of drug. Even the most seasoned players occasionally fell for tricks from other houses. It made Sehwa wonder why people would fall for such obvious scams. But watching the boss’s current behavior, it all made sense. Such well-known trickery was terrifying.

Well… On the other hand, it was understandable that the boss couldn’t act rationally. He was the type of person who would complain at company dinners, claiming that there were things money couldn’t buy. In the midst of that, hearing the sugar coating, ‘Let’s go to the sunny side’ and ‘Isn’t it time for you to hear the words ‘Chairman’ or ‘President’?’ was enough to make one’s mind think irrationally.

Residents outside the castle, particularly those in this House, would sometimes risk their lives for trivial reasons that would make others laugh. The most common reasons were affairs or love, but there were also those, like Sehwa, who wanted to be debt-free and became a free spirit, as well as those who wanted power and didn’t want to kneel before anyone in any district, like the boss.

Everyone’s hearts were impoverished. Branded as useless individuals, their lives were like vultures, where dying in any way at any time wouldn’t be considered abnormal. Still, they struggled to live on, hoping that someday a bright and sunny day would come. In reality, they knew very well that such days would never come.

“Oh? Look who’s here.”

Seeing the commotion at the entrance, it seemed that the boss and the director in question… no, the swindler had appeared. Sehwa brushed off the unidentifiable things that splashed all over his body. His cuffs were a mess of unrecognizable blackness and flowers. Sehwa could already see the boss’s face contorting as he asked what the hell that was.

The boss learned the word protocol from somewhere and told Sehwa to faithfully serve the director according to the protocol. Protocol… Sehwa couldn’t help but snicker at the baselessness of it all. Well, as far as Sehwa was concerned, it was an easy order. Since there were always people who believed and followed him, all he had to do was to tell him the direction of the House. Compared to manipulating swindlers and drugs and enticing guests, it was nothing.

“Oh, by the way, you. You said you would take care of that director guy for a while. Is that true?”

“Until I quit.”

“Hey. Are you really quitting? Seriously? For real?”

The sharp glances from the surroundings made Maejo’s figure retreat like a turtle.

“No, I think the boss is just talking nonsense… haha… No, right? So what are you going to do when you quit? No, not this… Wait a minute, so you’re saying you would just hand everything over to the newcomer?”

“No, seriously, how many times do I have to say it?”

“Now’s not the time for that attitude! Don’t you get it when someone tells you to take care of others first before quitting? They’re telling you to hand over all your money to him right now!”

​“I’m going to quit now, so what’s the use of holding on to that?”

His voice lacked any trace of lingering attachment. Maejo, who had been pounding his chest at Sehwa’s indifferent response, looked around and lowered his voice again.

“That… You’re living with regular customers… Is that true?”​

​“…”​

“Damn it. You’re so frustrating. You trust a drug addict because there’s no one else to trust. Shit, you’ll get kicked out within three months of getting beaten up. I’ll bet everything on the blood you’ll shed later.”

It was also intentional not to deny or make excuses for Maejo’s speculation. There was no point in revealing the truth to these kinds of people even the boss. It would be fortunate as long as they didn’t report it to the authorities because they were blinded by the reward money.

“Hey, if you’re going to do that…”

Maejo hesitated for a long time while saying, “If you’re going to do that.” He had a rare serious expression on his face. Sehwa raised his eyebrows and turned his head. It was obvious what would follow.

“If you’re going to do that, you’d better come with me…”

“Come in, come in.”​

Maejo swallowed what he was about to say as the boss’s voice echoed from the entrance. Sehwa gestured for him to look ahead. He noticed the spark in Maejo’s eyes when he looked away, but Sehwa pretended not to notice. And it would remain that way forever.

“In my younger brother’s opinion, the place might look a bit shabby, but if you want to handle these guys, you need a workshop like this. That way, even the guys below will get their heads straight and fight.”

“I see.”

The heads of the House residents, who had been looking dull and lost, perked up. Although no one had instructed them to, everyone was doing the same. It was a strange tone that automatically made their heads turn and piqued their interest. The man’s tone was gentle and calm. But there was a destructive power in his soft words that caught their attention and tore through their eardrums.

“It’s so cold, and yet you’ve gathered everyone like this.”

“Ah, Director Ki is now part of our family, of course, this’s how it should be. Besides, Director Ki isn’t an ordinary person. Now you’re the next in line here. It’s not as if the people here didn’t grow up with circumstances. Come on in.”

The crowd, who had been standing on their tiptoes due to the boss’s scolding, split in half like a torn piece of paper. Sehwa, who was also standing there with a sullen expression, slowly moved his body. And through that gap, the rumored director showed up. He led a group of guys in black suits, as if he had brought all the people he used to work with, and slowly entered the room. The umbrellas that were being held up from all directions were folded one after another, and droplets scattered like special effects behind the man.

“No f*cking way, what the hell…”​

Someone’s unfinished ‘what the hell…’ was probably the same as Sehwa’s thoughts. What the hell. Why was that… guy here?

“Say your greetings. From now on, our House… no, the company will be greatly expanded under Director Ki Tae-jeong’s guidance. Although it may be chaotic for a while with the new members coming in. You will be rewarded if you listen to me and Director Ki even if you sleep. Got it?”

Sehwa nervously swallowed his saliva. Perhaps the boss was taken advantage of by the con artist far more than he imagined, so it wasn’t a matter of laughing at him. The new director was clearly not someone who would work under the boss. For someone like him, there was no way he’d just offered up his organization. He’d come to work for him? That can’t be right. It can’t be.

Even his name was like that. Ki? He wasn’t a person who suited the title of director. Director Ki, rather than that such soft sounding title… That’s right, Representative Ki. Chairman Ki. Such authoritarian titles and abrupt pronunciation seemed more natural for that man.

However, that suspicious man, Ki Tae-jeong. He was like the noir movie that the rats, maggots, and garbage in this back alley had always dreamed of. It was like the idealized image of the people in this place, created solely with capital and fantasy. If that kind of man approached first and sweetened the deal, it seemed like everyone would let their guard down and open up completely. Sehwa couldn’t call the boss stupid because of it. If he had someone like that beneath him, even he would feel proud and boastful, as if he had achieved something.

Sehwa realized that he had been staring at the man too intently and quickly lowered his head. According to what he heard from the boss, the man hadn’t reached thirty yet. Was he twenty-eight, or twenty-nine? Was that why? He seemed young, but he didn’t appear immature. The lines that flowed from his forehead and eyebrow bones down to his high bridge of the nose and jaw were subtle. Sharp yet soft. It was a delicate balance, with his forehead exposed beneath his neatly combed hair. He was pretty in a dense way, but at the same time, he was cool and handsome. Perhaps this contrasting feeling made the man even more stand out.

Ki Tae-jeong bit off a cigar as he removed the flower petals that were clinging to the coat she was wearing, and asked for a lighter for his cigarette. He didn’t forget to politely ask for the boss’s permission when the assistant next to him would light it for him. The boss’s voice sounded strangely smooth as he praised the man, saying that he had succeeded from a young age because he was polite.

The flickering flame of a lighter briefly lingered in Ki Tae-jeong’s pupils and then disappeared. The beautiful man was all dark and heavy. It was a strange thing. It was a strange occurrence. Despite being composed of elegance, brightness, and beauty, when combined, all that remained were harmful descriptors.

“Hey, Sakura! What are you doing, you came out of nowhere and didn’t even greet me!!”

Sehwa’s shoulders stiffened as he strode forward awkwardly, wondering if he’d been caught stealing glances.

“Please understand, Director Ki. He’s just a bit dumb… But I’m sure he’ll be able to tell you the situation in our House, he’s been here since he was a kid.”​

He had carried himself confidently up until now. He even secretly enjoyed the decrease in bothersome tasks. However, as the man’s face got closer and closer, Sehwa became a little embarrassed of his appearance. He’d never worn a button-up shirt or a vest that cinched around his torso. It was the first time he’d seen a raincoat that didn’t fall apart even in the pouring rain. It likely meant that there was someone who managed everything for him, even without him lifting a finger.

Apart from the overwhelming embarrassment, Sehwa became even more suspicious of the new director. It wasn’t just because he had a lot of money. Those who naturally received such management wouldn’t allow others to ruin them. But it’s not just that; he mentioned rolling drugs. Starting from the bottom? And even sacrificing the organization he had carefully built up to the boss?

“Ah…”​

The timid steps that were cautiously taken came to an abrupt halt when a puddle splashed onto his ankle. All his efforts to be careful just moments ago went in vain as both ends of his pants were drenched. The man, who had been exhaling a thin stream of smoke, glanced up at the crisp sound of water. His elegant gaze slowly scanned Sehwa. Disheveled hair, sloppily put-on clothes that seemed to be picked up from the trash, and shoes that he made an effort to keep clean and polished… Sehwa’s body stiffened awkwardly at the scrutinizing gaze that seemed to dig into his shabby appearance.

Only then did the new director finally withdraw his strange expression and look Sehwa in the eyes. Sehwa hid his hands behind his back, embarrassed by the silent evaluation. His gradually sharpening silhouette against the gloomy weather resembled a lingering sunset rather than a rising sun. The ominous crimson sky, the dim grasp as if it pushed the sun down below, and such an ambiguous time that it was impossible to tell whether it was an enemy or an ally.​

“So, it’s you.”

​The beautiful man with the sunset at his feet smiled arrogantly.​

“The famous flower.”