VDN Ch 7

Se-han ran across the narrow yard in a flash, flinging off his slippers and entering the room.

“Hyung! I brought him water!”

“Good job.”

Seo-oh pointed to the floor.

“We’re going to eat later, so let’s clean up the notebooks. Why did you take out the sticker book? Eat the snacks after we finish our meal, okay?”

“Uh-huh, got it.”

Se-han quickly tidied up the scattered items following his brother’s words, then looked up with sparkling eyes. Seo-oh’s large hand gently cradled Se-han’s small, round head. Feeling happy with his brother’s affectionate touch, Se-han began to ask various questions he was curious about.

“But Hyung, you don’t like that Hyung, I mean that man. Why did you give him water?”

Se-han changed his form of address quickly after seeing Seo-oh’s face.

“It’s hot, isn’t it? If he collapses in front of our house, we’d have to deal with it.”

“Ah, I see. But that man’s bicycle looks just like the one next door, doesn’t it?”

Seo-oh thought for a moment and said.

“Se-han, when you go out to play later, check if Mrs. Soon-i’s bicycle is still there.”

“Huh? Okay! But why did he leave the rice behind?”

“What?”

At Se-han’s question, Seo-oh’s expression hardened, and he suddenly went outside. Se-han quickly picked up his slippers and followed his brother. There was a large bag of rice left in front of the gate. Se-han grabbed the hem of his brother’s pants and stuck his head out.

“We already have plenty of rice at home!”

“…I know.”

Seo-oh pressed his lips tightly together. What’s he trying to do now? Seok Nam-woon had been very strange lately, but today was especially worse. He suddenly showed up at school, insisted on taking him home and came on a strange bicycle. He even followed him to his house and left rice.

Seok Nam-woon thought he would laugh at his house as he used to. But today, he didn’t. Instead, Seok Nam-woon looked shocked.

It wasn’t funny at all. He had seen the house before, yet he looked as if it were his first time.

Was it such a laughing matter that Se-han and he lived in this house? And to leave rice of all things. He was angry. If he had openly laughed, he could have just thought, “That’s just how he is” and moved on. But this new method of mockery only made him laugh bitterly.

Seo-oh muttered in a low voice,

“Does he think we’re beggars?”

“Hyung, you’re making that scary face again.”

Se-han checked the floor to see if there were any ants on the floor to cheer up his brother. While he was moving and looking at the ground, Se-han stumbled upon something.

“…..?”

There was an unfamiliar black plastic bag where Se-han had left the note and sticker earlier. Se-han checked to make sure his brother was still looking at the rice, then quietly turned around and opened the bag.

Rustle.

“Wow, Choco Mushrooms…!”

Se-han’s favorite snack was Choco Mushrooms. There was also a bag of jelly and two stick candies.

Did the man leave these? As Se-han smiled with joy, his pale cheeks puffed up slightly.

He felt a bit regretful giving Alkongi to the man, but seeing that he had accepted it made him happy. And he noticed that the man’s bicycle was pink earlier. It was clear that the man must like pink.

Se-han lifted his yellow shirt so his brother wouldn’t see it and tucked the plastic bag inside. Then, with his belly bulging, he walked cautiously. With the sound of the bag rustling, Se-han sneaked into the house without his brother noticing.

***

Squeak.

Arriving in front of the office, Nam-woon parked his bicycle and took off his helmet. Alkongi was striking a cute pose on the helmet hanging from the bicycle handle. As Nam-woon climbed the stairs, he idly fiddled with the pocket of his pants where Se-han’s note was.

As he entered the office, the henchmen were milling about distractedly. Among them, Jang-mi spotted Nam-woon and asked cheerfully,

“Young master, you have arrived! Oh, do you have some good news?”

“No, not really.”

“Come on, you’ve been smiling since you came in.”

Did I?

Nam-woon touched his mouth slightly, and Jang-mi said,

“Guys, let’s start getting ready.”

“Yes!”

Then Jang-mi picked up a wooden beam from one side of the office. Startled, Nam-woon looked around. Everyone was grabbing a tool and standing menacingly. Nam-woon asked in surprise,

“Where is everyone going?”

“We’re going to collect debts today. Master, you should get ready too.”

Right, I also have to do the loan shark job. The villainous character Seok Nam-woon enjoyed tormenting the weak and took the initiative in debt collection tasks even when he didn’t need to.

Nam-woon didn’t want to go, but seeing his subordinate’s demeanor, he became anxious about what they might do. Moreover, an unavoidable system message appeared.

[It’s time for your main job! Please proceed diligently!]

[Today’s location is Haengwon Restaurant.]

After reading the message, Nam-woon checked just in case.

“Where are we going?”

“To Haengwon Restaurant.”

Going to just a restaurant with all that stuff? Nam-woon swallowed hard and pointed to Yong-deuk first.

“With you.”

Then he scanned the faces of the henchmen again and picked one man with a gentle appearance.

“You. Just the two of you will go.”

At that, the subordinates stirred.

“No, Master! You’re taking Deok-chil with you, why are you leaving me behind?”

“Jang-mi, you stay here.”

Then Jang-mi made a pitiful expression and whined,

“Please take me with you too.”

Nam-woon, trying hard to ignore him, told Yong-deuk and Deok-chil,

“Put those things down and follow me.”

The alley was very quiet. Deok-chil mentioned that the market had died down since chain stores sprouted up nearby. So there weren’t many customers anymore and many merchants left.

Haengwon Restaurant

The red stickers were peeling off here and there, making it hard to recognize the store’s name, but Yong-deuk stopped in front of it.

Slide.

As he opened the sliding metal door, an old man with a bent back and white hair looked up. Seeing Yong-deuk’s face, the old man began to tremble.

“Grandfather, we’re here! We’ve come to collect.”

Deok-chil spoke in a friendly tone, and the old man hurriedly cleared the leeks and onions from the table, muttering,

“No money, no money…”

Then Deok-chil threw one of the baskets against the wall. The ingredients scattered everywhere, and the old man gasped in shock.

Deok-chil, why the hell are you throwing precious food around? Nam-woon glared from behind. Then he bent down to pick up the onions that had fallen to the floor. The old man, with red eyes, quickly went to the sink, filled a basin with water, and splashed it at them.

Splash~!

“Ah, it’s cold!”

“No money! You’ve taken everything!”

As Yong-deuk approached him, the old man screamed like a madman. His gaze was fixed on Nam-woon, who stood behind Yong-deuk with a shocked expression.

“You’re worse than an animal! Because of you…!”

Nam-woon instinctively stepped back. “I don’t have any money. Really.” He saw a reflection of his past self, who had said those words countless times. But soon he regained his composure and restrained Yong-deuk. He stepped forward.

“Yong-deuk, let go of him.”

“You devil! Get away!”

The eyes looking at Nam-woon were filled with contempt and hatred.

“Because of you, because of you, our grandson… went to work and…”

Tears filled the old man’s eyes.

“He hasn’t come home… Sob… What happened to our grandson?”

The old man covered his face with his wrinkled hands and sobbed. Nam-woon watched silently for a moment and then told his men,

“Let’s go back.”

Hearing that, the old man stopped crying and looked up abruptly. Deok-chil tilted his head.

“What? What about today’s money?”

“Don’t take it.”

The old man looked in disbelief. Yong-deuk quietly called Nam-woon.

“Master, we’ll be short for the money we owe the chairman.”

“I’ll handle that myself.”

Nam-woon stared intently at the menu on the wall before asking,

“Sir, do you also do takeout for side dishes?”

An hour later, Nam-woon placed a black bag full of items on the office table. His subordinates gathered around.

“Take it home.”

“Didn’t you go to old man Haengwon’s today? He said he had no money again, right? Seriously, why did he even bother giving us these useless side dishes?”

“I bought them.”

“…what?”

“I said I bought them.”

The subordinates looked at Nam-woon with wide eyes. Nam-woon spoke expressionlessly.

“Yong-deuk.”

“Yes, young master.”

“Find out where Haengwon Restaurant’s grandson is.”

Yong-deuk, who was standing behind, quietly spoke up.

“I’ll look into it, but Master, if the Chairman hears about such actions, it won’t be good. And you might want to reconsider lowering the interest rate…”

“Don’t tell my father.”

“Of course, I won’t report it.”

The usually noisy subordinates were silent, only watching Yong-deuk and Nam-woon. Nam-woon took out all the side dishes from the bag and blurted out.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you guys don’t get hurt.”

“…….”

Nam-woon knew well that this was something he couldn’t control as he wished. With Chairman Seok involved, it would be difficult to quit the loan sharking business immediately. Still, Nam-woon wanted to live his life his way, if he could.