M 51

The clothes Lieutenant Park handed over were impeccably neat. The colors of the sweater and pants were modest, and the padded jacket was both light and warm. He even provided well-fitting underwear. If it weren’t for Ki Tae-jeong, this outing would’ve been enjoyable.

Sehwa paced around in circles, huffing and puffing. In truth, he had quickly finished all his tasks. He had safely hidden the money, confirmed there were no issues with the bank account, and neatly trimmed his overgrown hair. After that, there was nothing left to do. He didn’t want to go back, but he couldn’t exactly go to a cafe in this state either. He planned to avoid drinking anything until Ki Tae-jeong returned if possible, lest he need to use the bathroom.

The streets were unusually quiet today. This was supposed to be the busiest area, where he would always run into at least one person from the House whenever he went out… but it was eerily empty. At first, he had naturally thought of calling Maejo. After himself, that guy knew the most about drvgs. But thinking it over, he realized asking him about aphrodisiacs might be digging his own grave. The guy was as talkative as he was meddlesome. With Ki Tae-jeong not properly explaining his condition, spreading suspicious rumors wouldn’t do any good. Above all… Sehwa didn’t want to deal with questions like “Where did you hear that mixing it makes you produce fluid?” or “Did it happen to you?” Just thinking about it made him tired, so he decided to forget it. Besides, his phone had been taken away, so he didn’t even have the contact information at the moment.

“…Should I just go back?”

Even though it was light material, wearing the padding was making him break out in a sweat. The days were still as cold as midwinter once the sun set, but at noon, it felt more like summer than spring. Hot, heavy, and… everything felt bothersome. Maybe he should just go back. He was sure they’d already assigned someone to follow him, and all this pointless circling would eventually reach Ki Tae-jeong.

“Are you coming in or not?”

“Ah… no. I’m sorry.”

“Then get lost! Business is bad enough today, and you keep loitering in front of my shop!”

The owner of a snack shop burst out, yelling at Sehwa, annoyed by his idle pacing. Sehwa pouted and moved further down the street.

“Why is this happening…”

The fabric clung to his skin as he picked up his pace. He wasn’t usually this sensitive. Frowning at the irritating sensation, Sehwa began to suspect this might be another of Ki Tae-jeong’s tricks. Could it be that he had prevented him from wearing underwear all this time for this very purpose? Sehwa pressed his reddened cheeks with the back of his hand and entered a nearby store.

As he lingered by the ice cream counter to clear his head, enjoying the cold air rising from it, he suddenly thought that perhaps he could use the card Ki Tae-jeong had given him to buy a snack. Earlier, when getting his hair cut, he had been so worried about the balance that he ended up using his own money, but he thought that even if Ki Tae-jeong was just toying with him, he would have put at least 10,000 won on the account.

After some deliberation, Sehwa carefully selected an ice cream. The ice stuck to the inside of the case looked as solid as ancient glaciers, clearly not cleaned for a long time. After digging through it for a while, his hands covered in ice shavings, he picked up a chocolate-flavored cone that he wouldn’t normally even look at. It was quite expensive, not even on sale.

“I’d like to pay for this, please.”

He called out to the employee, who was absorbed in their phone, and held out the card. The employee, chewing gum and showing clear signs of annoyance, opened their mouth in an “oh” shape and examined the black card.

“What’s this card? It looks strange.”

Sehwa suddenly realized his mistake. The account balance wasn’t the issue. He feared the employee might harshly question where someone like him got such a card. What excuse could he make? He could hear his heart pounding in his ears. Should he contact Ki Tae-jeong now? As he fumbled with the phone in his pocket, he paled again at the realization of his foolish thought. This phone originally belonged to Ki Tae-jeong… how and where was he supposed to contact him?

“Do you need a bag?”

“What? Oh, yes.”

What excuse should he make? If this person called the police… As he was contemplating all sorts of negative scenarios, the employee nonchalantly finished the transaction and returned the card. Sehwa watched closely to see if they would press any alarm button, but the employee just went back to focusing on their phone game. They seemed completely unaware that this oddly-shaped card was something special.

Come to think of it… if Sehwa hadn’t heard about people borrowing money using things like bankbooks as collateral, he would never have known such cards existed either. Most people, like this store employee, lived their entire lives thinking this small area was the whole world.

Feeling somewhat dazed, Sehwa left the store, and immediately his phone rang. Fortunately, it wasn’t an emergency call from the military, but a message notifying him of the card transaction. As he looked at the screen, calming his startled heart,

“What is this…”

Sehwa stared blankly at the phone screen, lost for words at the series of numbers he had never seen before.

BOUK (0430) Check Approval

L*hwa

3,000 won

04/02 14:27

Remaining balance: 11,999,997,000 won

24-hour Green Mart, 4th Environment 2nd Street Branch

“One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand…”

Sehwa counted the amount over and over, stumbling. Once it went over 1 billion, he kept getting confused and had to start over from the beginning. He spent 3,000 won on ice cream, so…

“…Was the original balance 12 billion?”

Even after bending his neck to look closely at his phone and counting again, it was indeed 12 billion.

“Wait a minute… why is the name like this?”

Distracted by the unrealistic number, he belatedly noticed that the cardholder’s name displayed was also strange. Shouldn’t it be K*jeong since it belongs to Ki Tae-jeong? Why does it say L*hwa?

“…Is it possible… that this is under my name?”

That… couldn’t be. There had to be other people named L*hwas that Ki Tae-jeong knew besides him. Sehwa stared at the message for a long time, swinging the plastic bag on his wrist. Even if Ki Tae-jeong enjoyed having s3x with him, that wasn’t reason enough to give him 12 billion won. What’s this scheme now? Sehwa was so surprised that he had completely forgotten what he had tied at the bottom.

When he rubbed the front, there was a small embossed English name like Braille. Could this be his own name, Lee Sehwa? If it was such an important item, couldn’t they have engraved the name more prominently? The minuscule lettering on the edge made it hard to read, and the card’s intimidating glossy finish only added to the difficulty.

“Huh…”

Just in case, he flipped the card over and found his name written in unfamiliar handwriting in the signature field. Lee Sehwa. A handwriting that seemed full of strength but somehow careless. It felt exactly like how Ki Tae-jeong would write. Sehwa stood still as if nailed to the spot, staring at his name. It was an indescribable feeling. Like a newborn duckling first perceiving the world, he just stared in fascination as if looking at a strange object.

“Is this really mine?”

Sehwa came to his senses after some time had passed. Was this what Ki Tae-jeong meant earlier when he said it wasn’t someone else’s card?

Sehwa wasn’t particularly surprised that Ki Tae-jeong had accessed his personal information. He wasn’t angry either. The only issue was this abnormal amount. If it had been 1.2 million won, or even 12 million won, he would have happily spent it without any guilt. Even 100 million… he would have been surprised but accepted it. But 12 billion was really too much.

If Sehwa had to choose the worst thing in his life, it would be the debt he’d carried on his shoulders since birth. And if asked to choose the scariest thing, it was money of unknown origin. Even windfall money has a story behind it. A large sum received without knowing the reason would surely require payment later, and that usually came in horrific ways.

Why would Ki Tae-jeong open an account in his name? The first things that came to mind were money laundering or tax evasion… things like that, and then insurance money. Could Ki Tae-jeong have taken out an expensive insurance policy and then reported him as deceased? But Sehwa had just conducted normal bank business earlier, and most importantly, they wouldn’t put insurance money into a dead person’s account…

“Hey, Sakura!”

Still dazed, Sehwa was muttering to himself as he alternated glances between his phone and the card when someone punched him hard on the shoulder.

“Why the hell aren’t you answering your phone!”

“Ah…”

“Ah? You really take people for fools!”

Blinking blankly, Sehwa finally properly registered the person in front of her. It was Maejo. Maejo, who had been shouting about whether he was in his right mind or not, suddenly clamped his mouth shut at the booming rebuke from the snack bar owner from earlier.

“Huh… now that I look closely, you’ve cut your hair too. And you’re not wearing that weird makeup on your face…”

Maejo muttered ominously. Now that his contextless anger had subsided, he seemed to notice Sehwa’s changed appearance.

Maejo’s gaze slid from Sehwa’s fair cheeks to the plastic bag on his wrist. The glimpse of ice cream was an expensive product he would never buy with his own money. Even the clothes he was wearing now were like that. They had the logo of a famous brand that only some of the wealthy customers would wear, and the phone in his hand was not the old junk he used to use. It was clearly evident that he had been eating well and resting well in secret all this time, despite not having been seen at all. Moreover, he had the air of someone who had received attentive care from others.

“You’re going around looking this decent because of that bastard, right? That director bastard.”

What had seemed like a moment of calm was short-lived; fierce flames were burning in Maejo’s eyes as he faced Sehwa. It was an incomprehensible rage from Sehwa’s perspective. What business was it of his what he did with whom that he was getting so angry?

“Fvck… saying sweet nothings like ‘darling’ and ‘flower’, what’s so good about a bastard like that… Hey, what’s that card?”

Maejo, who had been grumbling to himself, suddenly flashed his eyes and reached out his hand. Reflexively stepping back and glaring sharply, Sehwa saw him slowly clench his hand that was left hanging in the air. He looked embarrassed. It may be an unkind thing to say to Maejo, but after seeing Ki Tae-jeong’s large hands, Maejo’s hands didn’t feel threatening at all.

“That’s the series they only give to VVIP customers of the Federal Bank. Why do you have it?”

“Get your hand away. It’s not mine.”

“Huh… Did that director bastard give it to you? Are you planning to live comfortably using his money now?”

Maejo, who had worked himself up again, spewed out a string of insulting words. Sehwa stood with his legs askew, letting his misplaced anger flow by. He was already distressed enough by this damned card without having to deal with him too, but then.

“I always knew you were shallow… but I didn’t know you were the type to go after things like that. Fvck, if you’re going to choose people based on money anyway, don’t go around saying you want to live a normal life.”

The more Sehwa listened, the more outrageous this bastard’s words became. When Maejo had misunderstood his relationship with Lieutenant Kim, he had cursed that Sehwa would end up unhappy anyway. Now that Ki Tae-jeong, who was hard to fault in appearance, had shown up, he was trying to drag him down to the gutter.

“Isn’t that natural? The person who gave me this card is young, handsome, and rich on top of that.”

“…What?”

“But let me ask you one thing. What business is it of yours whether I switch to this person or cling to him?”

Maejo blinked in shock when Sehwa, who usually never responded no matter what he heard, replied sarcastically.

“How can you say such things so easily just because the director bastard gave you a card? I…”

“Yeah, it comes out easily. What about you? You always speak rudely to me, have you ever given me even one card?”

“Hey…”

Maejo looked truly hurt, his eyes welling up.

“You know I like you… how can you say such things?”

Like him? Sehwa wasn’t unaware that Maejo harbored feelings for him, but he didn’t want to give it the flattering name of ‘liking.’ Maejo was just infatuated with his own feelings. He only treated Sehwa well when he felt like it because he wanted to sleep with him once. Even his idea of treating Sehwa well was only by his own standards. If someone powerful started insulting Sehwa, he would raise his voice too, not wanting to be left behind. He was afraid of being pushed out of the group if he defended Sehwa. It was disgusting how he packed his feelings as pure love despite this. Even Ki Tae-jeong called him Lee Sehwa when he talked about feelings. Maejo always just called him ‘hey’, ‘Sakura’, ‘Samwol’.

“Hey! Where, where are you going!”

Sehwa turned around with an expressionless face. Maejo, not knowing what to do, just kept shouting, and once again got cursed out heavily by the snack bar owner.

Knowing there was someone looking out for him, he didn’t have to worry about someone stabbing him in the back. It was a strange comfort. If asked to name the most dangerous person to him, he’d say Ki Tae-jeong without hesitation, yet being under his protection let Sehwa finally speak his mind to Maejo.

The plastic bag dangling from his wrist made cute rustling sounds. Come to think of it, wasn’t it quite a distance from here to the House? It’d probably melt. After pondering for a while, Sehwa unwrapped the ice cream and took a big bite. Even though half the flavor was just ice, likely from sitting in the freezer for too long, it still tasted good. Even in this situation, he could still stuff something in his mouth and think it tasted good.

“Look at this, I don’t usually cry…”

Sehwa bit into the ice cream with an indifferent face. If Ki Tae-jeong saw him, would he praise him for being strong? Would he be surprised? No, he’d probably just whistle and tease him. Something like, ‘Oh, look at our baby, didn’t cry this time, huh?’

In the end, the only place he could go back to was Ki Tae-jeong’s office. Not the gambling den or the lodgings, but the fake office where a waterbed and a man who only looked decent were waiting. Even though it was obvious what would happen to him when he returned today, if he thought it was fortunate that he could go there…

“Maybe I’m just too much of a fool…”

Unfamiliar with his own face that had been chilled in a while, Sehwa kept stroking his cheeks while mumbling.

Was it because he’d clung to him crying to save his life from the start? He lets everything go in front of Ki Tae-jeong. Was it because he treated him like he was a kid that he ended up acting like a literal child? It was strange. That he could be honest in front of the man who had made him cry more than anyone else. That he thought the man who had just recently torn his heart apart with cruel words was better than guys like Maejo…

“Rather than meeting guys like Maejo, I’d rather…”

Sehwa, who had been muttering without realizing it, startled himself and crammed the cone into his mouth. He coughed dryly from eating too hastily. Sehwa lowered his head and brushed off the cone crumbs. He decided to forget even for himself what he was about to say unconsciously.

***

“As you said, I’ve gathered only the small fry, not the important players.”

Son Byeong-gyu rubbed his palms together and chuckled. Ki Tae-jeong looked around the gambling den filled with people with an indifferent expression. It wasn’t a small number, but it wasn’t many either.

“Is this all?”

The people forced to kneel looked around with bewildered faces. Seeing the boss kowtowing to the newly arrived director, they seemed to have noticed that things were taking a strange turn.

“There are fewer than I thought?”

“Sakura, that one was kind of a manager-level, so he didn’t hang out with just anyone. Quite a few of the guys he knew are no longer in this world. But why did you ask me to call the kids…”

Ki Tae-jeong had told Son Byeong-gyu to bring everyone who had heard anything about Lee Sehwa’s constitution. Excluding the well-known players, just the errand boys from the bottom. Anyone who knew even just that the drvgs didn’t work well on Lee Sehwa, he had said to bring them without fail.

“Just want to do some cleaning.”