TTD Ch 11

Kang Seok-joo took him to an area with a lot of old buildings. Rows of empty shops with the words “Rental Store” written on them were located away from the downtown area. The complicated alleys were as tangled as a spider’s web, but as he slipped through them, he discovered a relatively clean building.

There was no CCTV or passersby in front of the building, and there were only two guards guarding the front.

When he went inside, the wonder of why children from wealthy families were playing in such a place disappeared. The basement of the building was truly a paradise, in contrast to the shabby exterior. Not to mention the vibrant interior and lighting, as well as the piercing music that made his heart race.

The cigarette and marijuana smoke was thick, and young people addicted to alcohol and drugs were tangled up naked and shamelessly. There was also a small swimming pool when Ja-kyung rolled up his golden feet and went inside. Men and women were laughing and talking together in the water.

“This is our new hideout. Director Kang probably doesn’t know about this place either.”

Kang Seok-Joo whispered as he put his lips close to Ja-Kyung’s ear. As if he thought they were getting close, the title was changed from hyung-nim to Director Kang. A round table and sofa appeared after passing the swimming pool and climbing the shallow stairs. Kang Seok-joo’s friends,  who had already arrived, greeted him by waving their hands. Some had already applied white powder to the tip of their noses, and their pupils had dilated, allowing them to travel between heaven and hell.

When he sat down, everyone’s attention was drawn to Lee Ja-kyung rather than Kang Seok-joo.

“Who? Guest?”

“Is your friend from Hong Kong?”

“Look at his glasses. There are still people wearing things like this these days.”

A woman in short pants and a bikini top stared intently at Ja-kyung.

“You look handsome, why did you wear this? Take it off. Shall I take it off?”

As she was about to take off his glasses with his large breasts pressed against him, Ja-kyung pushed her body back and pulled out her hands.

“No, it’s okay.”

“Look how shy you are. You’re so cute.”

Seok-joo laughed when the woman showed overt interest in Ja-kyung.

“Hey, don’t flirt. His grandfather is a terrifying man.”

“More than your brother?”

The people who had gathered giggled when the brother’s name was mentioned. On the other han, Kang Seok-joo’s face turned sour.

“Damn it, you crazy girl. Why are you talking about that bastard?”

He knew without even asking that the bastard he mean was Kang Il-hyun.  A strong man who was courageous approached Kang Seok-joo.  He had a goblin tattoo on his left arm and was wearing a black beanie. Ja-kyung stared at the tattoo for a long time, feeling familiar.

The man who introduced himself as Choi Ki-tae exchanged whispers with Kang Seok-Joo before moving to a more distant place. He reached into his pocket and took out a small plastic bag. He took out the pills from the plastic bag, placed them on a plate, and skillfully ground them into a powder. He made it into an appropriate ratio by mixing it with the powder he already had and handing it to Kang Seok-Joo.

Kang Seok-joo put his nose to it and took a deep breath without hesitation. His mouth opened and his eyes rolled up after a while. The people around him joined in one by one as he stretched out on the sofa, shivering like a person who ejaculate.

Ja-kyung, who had been silently watching, was surprised to see a long glass of champagne appear in front of him. The pale yellow liquid emitted bubbles. The person who handed the champagne glass was the woman who was about to take his glasses off.

“Drink it. It will make you feel better.”

Ja-kyung smiled politely and declined. It was easy to get into trouble if you ate what was served to you in a place like this. The woman placed the glass of champagne on the table and pushed it to the side. She leaned her upper body and gently wrapped her arm around Ja-kyung’s arm. Ja-kyung awkwardly laughed as she rubbed her voluptuous breasts with the dizzying scent of perfume.

“Your body is better than it looks.”

The woman’s hand on his arm slipped and went down his chest, stomach, and a little further down. Her hands caressed his genitals over his pants.   She made eye contact and was about to kiss him, so he took his hand off and got up. The woman’s brows were wrinkled.

“I’m sorry. I have bad lungs… I’ll get some fresh air and come back.”

The woman held his hand.

“Shall we go together?”

Ja-kyung dropped his hand again this time. He hadn’t touched it for a while, and lust swelled up, but now it wasn’t the time for that now. He smiled apologetically at the woman and came out around the table.

Kang Seok-joo was drunk, his eyes dilated, and he didn’t even notice Ja-kyung was leaving. On his way out, Ja-kyung stole a cigarette and lighter from another table and placed them in his pocket. The loud music faded away as he climbed the stairs to the ground. He looked at the guard in front of him and walked slowly back in the direction he had come from.

Instead of shops, he saw empty houses as he walked. Not all of them were empty, and in some places, there was a faint light leaking through or the TV’s sound was barely noticeable. He walked a little further, leaned against the wall, and took a cigarette from his pocket. He put it in his mouth and tried to light it, but there was no spark from the lighter no matter how hard he tried.

The gas has most likely run out. When he shook it, it remained the same. Oh fuck.   He threw the lighter on the floor, irritated. He even brought something useless like this. He chewed the tip of the cigarette with his front teeth with regret, but he heard a noise from inside the alley.

He was curious as to who had exited the house. He had no idea who it was, but he prayed sincerely to be a smoker like him. He walks towards the sound, holding a cigarette between his index and middle fingers when a small person appears. A head collided with Ja-kyung’s chest in the blink of an eye, and the person looked up in surprise.

Fear could be seen on the youth’s face. Before even comprehending the situation, the other person presses the hat harder and flees the scene as if fleeing. Then, from the direction where the person came from, someone opened the iron door and came out, rummaged through the garbage pile, grabbed a bag, and went in.

Ja-kyung turned around. The shadow of the girl he’d met earlier was fading into another alley in the distance. He threw down the cigarette he was smoking and proceeded slowly in the same way. The bag the girl was carrying appeared even larger in the light of the street lighting.

Bare skinny limbs. Clothes that don’t fit the season. Worn out shoes. Empty eyes from which the soul escaped.

Ja-kyung had seen something similar before. Every morning, he would get out of bed and look in the mirror. They were the so-called carriers.  They provided drugs to those who couldn’t come out to buy drugs on their own, and it was a way for them to toss them in a secret location and collect the money they had left. The reason drug dealers used them was simple. They were easy to throw away.

As he followed, the girl gradually changed into her own clothes.

[School? What school? Don’t be crazy and get to work. You useless bastard.]

He was frequently beaten up by a man that said to be his father. He’d rather starve him to death if he didn’t want to work. Growing up like that, he was fascinated to see children his age one day. Put on clean clothes. Clean shoes. Parents’ hands stroking their children’s hair. When he went home, he thought about it for a few days and said he wanted to go to school, but all he got in return was beatings and swearing.

[I should not have given birth to you. My fate would have been better if I had simply aborted you.]

He was beaten so badly one day that his leg fractured. He went to delivery the next day while wearing the splint. He almost received a bad time from a crazy old man that day. Naturally, he was unable to gather the money for the drugs, and his mother became furious and slapped him on the cheek, requesting that he pay for the drug by selling his body.

At that time, Ja-kyung was only ten years old.

“Stop.”

Because he couldn’t break free from the past, he didn’t see the knife had touched his side until it was too late. Ja-kyung came to a halt and raised both hands to shoulder height. The opponent was strangely quiet. As he slowly turned his body, a man of the same height as him was wearing a hat and glared at Ja-kyung.

“Are you a trader?”

Where did he look like one? And wouldn’t you be scolded if you point a knife at a real trader like this? Ja-kyung shook his head.

“But why are you following her?”

The man was dressed in a black jumper, and the burn wounds on his neck were evident. Even while he glanced at Ja-kyung, he continued looking to the side where the girl had disappeared. The man held the knife’s point near to his side as if about to stab him.

“Say it. Why did you follow her?”

Ja-kyung answered with his hands raised.

“I’m sorry…. I’m just worried because a child is walking around alone.”

The man fixed his gaze on Ja-kyung. A normal person would urinate in the presence of a knife and a man’s harsh impression, but his eyes did not quiver. He apologized, but his look suggested otherwise. It was most likely award-winning. The man extended his hand to Ja-kyung.

“Wallet.”

Ja-kyung remained still. He debated whether he should kill him or let him live. Standing at a crossroads, the man chased Ja-kyung without knowing anything.

“Wallet!”

That’s right, let’s get rid of him. At that moment, someone screamed from behind. The man in front of him hid his knife behind his back and nodded. Ja-kyung turned around and realized that he was the man with a goblin tattoo he saw in the hideout. Choi Ki-tae, after tossing the cigarette he was smoking to the side, came over with a smirk.

“What. Why.”

“It’s nothing. I’m working, and this bastard has been behaving strangely. I’m going to give him a lesson,”

Choi Ki-tae slapped the man on the cheek with his pot-cap-sized palm. The man stumbled to the side, as if about to fall, then stood up again. The hand slapped him once more.

“This bastard. Who are you going to give a lesson to? Who!”

As he hit more, the man’s face got red and swelled. The face of the goblin tattooed on Choi Ki-tae’s forearm became grimmer with each swing of his arm. That always attracts his attention. Tattoos of goblins were common, but this was the first time he has seen such a shape.

But why did it seem familiar… Ja-kyung’s eyes got wider as he watched. He then remembered that he had seen the same tattoo before.