1.2 Gimun Construction
Soon, only CEO Chu and I were left in the room. Kim Sun-jin had stepped outside after taking a phone call.
Since the coffee was finished and there were no requests for more, I gathered the empty cups and packed the supplies quickly. Having done this dozens of times thanks to my mother and Kim Jeong-suk, I was quite adept at it. I packed everything exactly as I had brought it and wiped the table clean, leaving no moisture, fearing I might be criticized. Next, I bowed to CEO Chu, who had risen from the sofa and was sitting at the desk.
“Then, sir. Have a wonderful day.”
I announced my greeting loudly, like a room salon waiter, and stepped backward toward the door. I planned to pay for the coffee using the tip I’d received. I felt that if I asked for the money, I’d be bitten by that fierce face. ‘You brew the coffee like absolute shit and then you want money?’ Even if he was a proper gangster, who knew if he had the habits of a low-life thug inside? Just as I reached the door, a low voice stopped me.
“Did you forget something?”
Forget something? I stopped and looked up at CEO Chu; he had another cigarette in his mouth. He blew a thick cloud of smoke in front of his fierce face.
“The coffee money.”
“Ah….”
Standing awkwardly, I gave a forced smile and continued. “I thought you seemed busy, sir, so I was going to collect it outside.” Perhaps because of the experience I’d accumulated, the words flew out before I could think. Having catered to the whims of bosses who threw tantrums over losing money more than a few times, speaking politely had become a habit.
“I look busy to you, huh.”
“….”
“Just sitting here smoking cigarettes.”
“….”
Frowning with one eye, CEO Chu spat out smoke, flicked the ash onto the floor, and clamped the cigarette back between his teeth. Then, he beckoned me with a curl of his index finger. While I hesitated, he gave a short command with the cigarette still in his teeth.
“Aren’t you coming?”
His tone was slightly displeased. Wondering if I had said or done something to offend him, I bowed my waist and moved toward the desk. As I approached, the hand holding the cigarette was placed on the desk. There were many small scars on the back of his thick, large hand. His nails were trimmed short and were surprisingly clean—aside from the blood stained here and there.
“When did I tell you to bow?”
“Pardon…?”
“I said stand up straight.”
“…Yes.”
I immediately stood straight as ordered and looked at CEO Chu. One of his fierce eyes narrowed again as he exhaled smoke. He must have inhaled deeply, as the smoke billowed thick from his nose as well. Fuck, it’s been three weeks since I forced myself to quit smoking to save money, but seeing him smoke so tastily made my throat twitch involuntarily. Since I’d gotten generous tips from Hwang No-byeong and Kim Sun-jin, should I just start smoking again?
The long cigarette, with half of it still remaining, was crushed out in the ashtray. CEO Chu blew the remaining smoke in my mouth forcefully, then opened the desk drawer and pulled out a black wallet thicker than his own hand.
“How much.”
“Please give me ten thousand won.”
“Is that the price for twenty cups of coffee?”
Crazy. I didn’t know they’d ordered that many. Since there are sometimes coffees that go in as service for Gimun, I just went with it today, and it turned out to be twenty cups. But why didn’t Kim Jeong-suk give me a proper heads-up on how much to collect? A greedy person like her wouldn’t miss out on the price of twenty coffees. Maybe I should have just asked for fifty thousand won, including delivery and ice.
“Uh… still, please just give me ten thousand won.”
“Why.”
“The rest is as a service….”
“Service?”
At those words, CEO Chu’s eyebrow twitched. His already fierce face became twice as fierce.
“Did your boss tell you to do that?”
“No, it’s not that….”
“Then.”
“I just….”
“Why. Do I look like some pathetic bastard who’s obsessed with ‘service’ in your eyes?”
Due to the aggressive tone, I missed my timing to speak because I was busy swallowing hard. In the meantime, CEO Chu’s expression became even more sinister. The thick black folding wallet was thrown onto the desk.
“No answer to the question, huh. Do I look like that, fuck.”
“…No. That’s not possible.”
“….”
“I felt like I didn’t brew the coffee well enough for you… that’s why I said it. I’m sorry. I made a mistake.”
…Crazy bastard. In this industry where there are plenty of nuisances trying to get things for free, this was the first time I’d met someone who threw a fit over being given a service. Nuisances aren’t a fixed type; the way arrogant people with everything in the world behave varies wildly. Thinking he was that type, I apologized unconditionally. I bowed so low my forehead almost touched the desk and shouted “I’m sorry” loudly once more.
“I will state the amount properly. Including the coffee, delivery, and ice, it’s forty thousand—no, fifty thousand won.”
“Can’t you just speak straight without getting confused? Is it forty or fifty?”
“F-fifty thousand won.”
“Fifty thousand?”
“Yes.”
As I said this, I set the coffee bundle on one side of the desk and gently raised both palms above my head. I took a polite posture to receive the money. Since it was something I did as often as eating, it wasn’t humiliating or shameful. I just felt like my heart was going to explode. My bladder tingled sharply, as if I were about to wet myself. CEO Chu, you son of a bitch, piece of shit. Kim Jeong-suk, you total lunatic. While I was bitterly chewing them both over in my head, I suddenly heard laughter from above. In an instant, a hand reached out and grabbed my chin, lifting it up.
“You’re gonna piss yourself. Right now.”
“….”
“Why are you so frozen. Am I that scary?”
“….”
“You can’t even tell when it’s a joke. It’s a joke, a joke. I just wanted to play with you.”
“…Ah.”
“’Ah,’ my fuck.”
“….”
I didn’t know where the joke started or ended, but his fierce face had vanished in an instant, and he was laughing brightly. My captured chin was shaken roughly a few times. Just as the hand seemed to let go, he tapped my cheek.
“Who would’ve thought he’s such a baby, huh?”
“….”
CEO Chu chuckled to himself and shook his head. Then, he took back the wallet he had thrown in front of me and began rummaging through it. A moment later, a thick stack of bills came out between his fingers. Five ten-thousand won bills and three hundred-thousand won checks.
“Here. Give fifty thousand to your boss and keep the rest for yourself. A tip.”
“It’s… it’s too much. Just the coffee money would be….”
“Take it when I give it. Don’t make my arm ache.”
“But still….”
“Do I have to get up?”
As the smile on his face began to fade, I hurriedly reached out.
“…T-then, I will gratefully accept it. Thank you, sir.”
Out of habit, I bowed as I took the money. I had received a large sum, including the tip from the woman and the one from CEO Chu, but I didn’t feel like I’d hit the jackpot at all. Half of me wanted to refuse it because it felt like dirty money—though where is there any truly clean money?
“Where’d you say you came from? Cucumber?”
“…Pumpkin.”
As he asked, another cigarette was clamped in CEO Chu’s mouth. visit our siteHe [stolen content]was definitely a chain smoker.
“Pumpkin?”
“Yes.”
“….”
Leaning back comfortably in his chair, CEO Chu nodded. He stared at me while exhaling smoke. Right, Pumpkin…. His low voice continued.
“I think I want to see you often. What do you think?”
My legs shook violently as I headed toward my parked car. It wasn’t because of the high-heeled shoes; the strength had simply left my legs. The time I spent at Gimun was three times longer than anywhere else. Thirty minutes. Twenty minutes in the room CEO Chu used, and ten minutes in the living room with the thugs. In those thirty minutes, it felt as if all the energy in my body had been sucked out. No matter how much they ran legal businesses, in reality, they were filthy bastards using them as shields to engage in all sorts of messy activities. As I’d seen just now, they had no hesitation about killing or harming people.
As soon as I got into the car, I kicked off my shoes. Massaging my aching toes, I took out my phone from the console box to check it. There were three missed calls from Kim Jeong-suk. Checking the time, it seemed to be exactly when CEO Chu had been holding my ankle. It was a relief I hadn’t taken the phone inside. If the ringtone had gone off loudly, CEO Chu might have actually broken my ankle.
While putting on the socks that were rolling around in the passenger seat, I pulled out the money from my back pocket. Counting all the money I’d received today, it totaled 450,000 won. Even considering it as payment for having my dick and ankle grabbed, it was Read on Read BL Novelsan excessive amount. It visit our siteseemed like a sign that I should start smoking again. Saving a bit of [unauthorized copy]money on cigarettes wasn’t going to reduce my interest, and even if it did, what was the point of living such a desperate, struggling life? I should at least reduce my stress.
Excluding the fifty thousand won for the coffee, I divided the rest evenly between the soles of my feet and finished putting on my socks. I had been stripped of all my bankbooks and had no proper lodging, so there was nowhere to hide it from Kim Jeong-suk, but I was determined not to let this money be taken, no matter what. Even if I had to shove it up my ass.
‘I think I want to see you often. What do you think?’
That low, cave-like voice echoed in my head as if I’d just heard it. A chilly shiver, as if I were actually in a cave, ran down my spine. Did he give me a large tip because he intended to call me again? Whatever the reason, when a man with a face that didn’t look like it was smiling even when it was, asked a question that left no room for choice, I had no choice but to answer like this.
‘I… I would also like to see you often, sir.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘I am sure.’
Recalling those eyes that had scanned my face one last time, my body shuddered. At the words “I am sure,” CEO Chu had said nothing and simply gestured for me to leave. My ankle throbbed severely until I opened the door and left, and I knew the reason without even looking back. It was because of CEO Chu’s gaze. It was terrifying how something without a physical form could make a person so scared; even now, just thinking about it made my bladder tingle. It was a miracle I didn’t pee right there. I felt sorry for the men who must have been beaten to death by a man like that.
I crammed my feet, with the bills inside, into my sneakers and started the engine. Suddenly, the image [Read on Read BL Novels]of CEO Chu cutting off an ankle flashed before my eyes, and the hand turning the car [unauthorized copy]key flinched. For a moment, a hot pain Read on Read BL Novelsflared in my right ankle, the one that had been held by CEO Chu.
“…Fuck.”
I stepped hard on the accelerator and fled Gimun, and a call came in from Kim Jeong-suk. I ignored it until the end, regardless of whether it rang or not. Just so she could feel a bit of the anxiety too.
Kim Jeong-suk, who was sitting at the counter, frowned when she saw me enter. She looked like she had been waiting for a long time.
“What took you so long? Why didn’t you answer the phone?”
“I left it in the car, so I couldn’t.”
“You didn’t just ignore it on purpose?”
“How could that be? I was in the middle of pouring coffee when you called, Auntie.”
Suppressing the urge to grab her by the collar, I visit our sitewalked straight past the counter into the kitchen. Kim Jeong-suk pulled out her chair and followed me.
“Did CEO Chu hold onto you that long?”
“Yeees.”
“What did he do? Did he touch you?”
“Nooo.”
Perhaps feeling some sense of guilt, Kim Jeong-suk didn’t stay angry for long, unlike her usual self; instead, she even snatched the bundle of coffee from my hand. After handing them over to the kitchen Auntie in my stead, she began to stare intently at my face. “And?” The look in her eyes as she asked was exactly the same as a certain day in the past.
‘Don’t you want to pay off your mom’s debt in one go? Want to try a ticket?’
The wicked owner who had brought my green, young self into the coffee shop, put me to work, and even tried to broker prostitution was none other than this Kim Jeong-suk. She had started coaxing me, saying there were plenty of customers who found me cute and that I should just go watch one movie with them. Fortunately, back then, my temper was even worse than it is now. Upon hearing those words, I snapped, grabbed a knife, and went wild; since then, even Kim Jeong-suk, who was stronger than a man, never breathed a word of it again. But. The look in her eyes right now was exactly the same as then. Could this be a ploy to get me seriously into delivery work, starting with Gimun?
“Even the sons could’ve been back in ten minutes. You did something else, didn’t you?”
I took a step toward Kim Jeong-suk, who was pressing for an answer. Instead of getting angry, I met her eyes and gave a thin smile.
“Auntie, really. I just poured a hell of a lot of coffee. I don’t know what today is, but there were thugs swarming everywhere. Two of them looked like they were half-dead. It took a while because I had to pour a cup for each of them. Here, the coffee money.”
Rummaging through my back pocket, I placed the fifty thousand won I’d received from CEO Chu carefully into Kim Jeong-suk’s hand. Then, I turned around and moved toward the hall.
Talking back out of anger was nothing more than asking to be killed. Especially now that I’d seen Kang Moon-soo—the self-proclaimed ‘nephew’ Kim Jeong-suk kept by her side day and night—coming out of the bathroom, I had to exercise even more restraint. He was the man who had showered me in pig’s blood by the river; I had nearly been beaten to a pulp when I’d blindly talked back to Kim Jeong-suk in front of him.
Twenty-nine-year-old Kang Moon-soo, who was relatively fit and handsome, was a thug who frequently drifted in and out of police stations due to his impulsive habit of hitting people. I heard he had been a renowned boxing prospect in his school days, even making the national newspapers. But on his sixteenth birthday, he got drunk and beat someone to death, ending his life’s prospects. After a long stint in juvenile detention, he returned to society, and seeing him now acting as a pimp for a woman his mother’s age after doing all sorts of dirty work, I figured he was beyond redemption. Still, he didn’t seem to hit his own women. Probably because they were his only source of income.
“Hey, Min-jo. I heard you went on a delivery.”
“Ah, yes.”
Kang Moon-soo waved as he approached [stolen content]me. I tried to just pass by, but since he spoke to me, I had to give a greeting I didn’t feel.
“So, was it doable?”
“Well, just… I’ve done it a lot before.”
“Ah, really? Then you must be good at it. I, for fuck’s sake, didn’t learn, so I was fucking clumsy.”
“…Ah. I guess you went on a delivery once.”
“Yeah. Just once. Gimun, just like you.”
Gimun?
I couldn’t tell from Kang Moon-soo’s expression whether he was joking or serious. Just then, Kim Jeong-suk threw a meaningful comment from behind.
“Is this all they gave you?”
“What?”
When I turned around, Kim Jeong-suk’s eyes were already wide and fierce. Her gaze, fixed on my face, slowly drifted down and landed on my pants pocket.
“I’m asking if fifty thousand won is all.”
“What are you talking about? That’s a lot for that kind of job. I practically forced him to give me that money when he didn’t want to. Do you know how intimidated I was in front of CEO Chu?”
I spoke quickly with a smile, fearing her gaze would drop to where I had hidden the money. She was likely just fishing without any concrete evidence. Therefore, I couldn’t stutter or look scared. I deliberately put on an annoyed expression and shoved my hands into both pockets to show her the contents.
“What, do you think I stashed something away?”
“What are you talking about? There’s the tip you got.”
“….”
…Fuck, she said she’d been in this business for nearly thirty years, and her intuition was indeed incredible. But I was also a veteran of this world. I let out a scoffing laugh as if it were absurd and shook my head.
“A tip? Are you asking if I got a tip from Gimun?”
“Yes.”
“Are you kidding? You don’t know that I almost got beaten up just because a guy with a dick showed up.”
However, Kim Jeong-suk was not an easy opponent. She signaled Kang Moon-soo behind her and stepped closer to me. Kim Jeong-suk poked my lower abdomen with her left hand, which wore a thick gold ring.
“Hand it over while I’m asking nicely.”
“Fuck, I told you I don’t have any!”
It felt awkward not to swear. To get out of this cleanly, I had to finish strong. I immediately stripped off the t-shirt [stolen content]I [Read on Read BL Novels]was wearing and unbuckled my jeans.
“If you don’t believe me, search me.”
I pulled my pants down to my ankles and shouted at Kim Jeong-suk. “Should I show you my underwear too? Is that the only way you’ll believe me?”
I had already exposed my naked body to Kim Jeong-suk several times, so there was nothing to be ashamed of. Even when I was covered in pig’s blood, I had been washed in the river and thrown into a car naked. If there had been girls in the coffee shop, I wouldn’t have been able to do this, but fortunately, they must have gone on deliveries in other cars, leaving only the three of us. Well, four, including the Auntie in the kitchen.
Kim Jeong-suk scanned me in my underwear with a strange look. There was no hesitation in her eyes, as if she were absolutely certain of something. I felt uneasy.
“Moon-soo. You went on a Gimun delivery once, right? How much of a tip did you get then?”
“Maybe a hundred thousand won.”
“Who gave it to you?”
“Some host bar guy who’s a total airhead gave [Read on Read BL Novels]it to visit our siteme along with his partner. Said he wanted to sleep with me.”
The moment my heart sank, Kim Jeong-suk suddenly grabbed me by the hair. She shoved her heavily made-up face close to mine and whispered, her breath smelling of smoke.
“You heard, right?”
“So, so what? What does that have to do with me?”
In an instant, Kim Jeong-suk’s eyes grew even fiercer, and she raised her hand to my eye level. She tapped my cheek in an unpleasant manner.
“Every time you act like this, I feel sorry for your mother. She gave birth to such a deficient brat, huh?”
“….”
“What does this look like to your eyes?”
“….”
Between Kim Jeong-suk’s index and middle fingers was the fifty thousand won coffee money I had given her. But… tucked between the bills was the business card Kim Sun-jin had given me. That Lucky Host Bar business card that Kang Moon-soo must have also received.
Oh, Woo Min-jo, you luckless piece of shit. You’d be better off just dying.
“I won’t touch Hwang No-byeong’s share. Just give me what this bitch gave you.”
“….”
“Do you want me to lock the door before you listen? Shall we search every inch of your asshole today?”
“….”
Vicious bitch. I’m usually a gentleman who doesn’t swear at women, but I cannot stand Kim Jeong-suk. A filthy debt-collector. At my silence, Kim Jeong-suk’s expression distorted.
“Moon-soo. Let’s close up for today. This little fucker is hopeless.”
“Ah, alright, alright! I’ll give it to you. Stop being so scary.”
I shook my head instinctively. She always lived by the motto ‘You can fool a ghost, but you can’t fool me,’ and today I’d been caught red-handed. Knowing she was the type to actually have Kang Moon-soo search my asshole if I held out until the end, I immediately sat down and took off my shoes. Kim Jeong-suk snatched the wad of money hidden in my sock and clicked her tongue.
“Not even the asshole, but the sole of the foot? How filthy.”
Fuck, so the asshole where shit comes out isn’t filthy?
My stomach churned. If I had known it would be taken so futilely, I would have refused CEO Chu’s tip no matter what. That would have been better than letting Kim Jeong-suk take it. I won’t be going back there—no, even if I do, I will never accept a tip again.
“Wow, you got a hell of a lot!”
When the large sum of 450,000 won was handed over, Kim Jeong-suk’s grin reached her ears. Kang Moon-soo leaned in beside her as she counted the money, licking her thumb.
“How much in total?”
“Four hundred and fifty.”
“Fuck, he only gave me a hundred thousand, but he gave this brat a shitload. It’s not like he’s discriminating. Hey! Did he ask to sleep with you too?”
Kang Moon-soo poked me as I dusted off my soles and put my socks back on. I looked up at him.
“He didn’t say that; he just gave a hundred thousand won as a tip.”
“Then what’s the rest?”
“Fifty thousand from Hwang No-byeong. The rest is from CEO Chu.”
“CEO Chu?”
The last part was said by Kim Jeong-suk. She looked down at me with a surprised face.
“CEO Chu gave it to you?”
…I shouldn’t have mentioned it. That expression she had when offering the ticket reappeared. Her sinister smile suggested that from now on, all Gimun deliveries would be assigned to me. Kang Moon-soo snatched a check from Kim Jeong-suk’s hand and chuckled.
“Didn’t I tell you? That guy’s gonna be really into him.”
“You’ve got a good eye for people, don’t you? You could see that?”
“Yeah. My mom’s a shaman, so I’ve got a bit of that trait too. But Noona, isn’t this the first time CEO Chu has given a tip to anyone?”
“That’s why I’m surprised.”
Kim Jeong-suk then stared at the check and muttered, “My goodness, all sorts of things happen.” Kang Moon-soo said, “All sorts of things,” and leaned over to reach for me. I braced myself, thinking he was going to hit me, but he only lightly slapped my cheek. A strong smell of cigarettes clung to his hand. Along with it, a pungent smell of urine, as if he’d pissed and hadn’t washed.
“It’s just his fate. Min-jo, you’ve got the fate of someone who’ll live [visit our site]a long life only if he eats a man’s dick. You know?”
“….”
“Don’t be like that, why don’t you come watch a movie with me for once? You’ve gotta try it to get better at it. Noona, it’s okay to let him off work, right?”
“…Fuck off, you piece of shit. Who the hell are you—ugh!”
The moment the words left my mouth, I saw stars. The impulsive Kang Moon-soo had slapped me. My cheek burned as if it had caught fire. Kang Moon-soo shook me by the hair as if he were about to rip it out.
“I told you not to act up, didn’t I? You really want to die?”
“Enough, stop it. I’d be pissed too if my money was taken. It’s not just a few pennies.”
Kim Jeong-suk clicked her tongue and pulled Kang Moon-soo back. Kang Moon-soo followed obediently, but continued to throw warnings my way until the end.
“Don’t let your mouth run wild. You might actually die if you do. Got it?”
My lip felt sore, as if it had been torn. How long do I have to endure this bullshit? I couldn’t even bring myself to sigh anymore.
“Here. Hwang No-byeong’s.”
Kim Jeong-suk threw the fifty thousand won from Hwang No-byeong at my leg. Like a beggar receiving alms.
“Do it right, and don’t try to cheat me. I won’t let it slide next time. Got it?”
“Yeees.”
I answered half-heartedly and grabbed the crumpled money. My life had always been like this, so it wasn’t even sad. Only my slapped cheek hurt. I wiped my torn lip with my tongue and finished putting on my socks. Perhaps because I still looked human, Kim Jeong-suk seemed to pity me; she straightened my disheveled hair and said,
“Get up, put your clothes on and eat. We’re closing up here today. But why are you so skinny? This won’t do, Unni! Is there some marinated meat? Stir-fry that up deliciously!”
Well. If she had a child of her own, they’d be just like me. We’re an ill-fated match now, but when I was very young, we had shared hardships and been [unauthorized copy]a source of strength stolen contentfor each other. She [Read on Read BL Novels]was a warm person who risked everything to look after my mother, who had run away from my drunken father. Thinking about it that way, it wasn’t Kim Jeong-suk, but my mother—who stole other people’s money—who was the worst person. Having been cheated multiple times, it was only natural that Kim Jeong-suk became a vicious debt-collector.
“You’re going to suffer a lot from now on, so you should at least eat well. I heard people don’t like skinny types these days. From today, eat two bowls of rice. You need to have something to touch, for goodness’ sake.”
I laughed. Pitying me. She isn’t the Kim Jeong-suk from those days anymore.
That aside, hearing her talk, it seemed she really intended to run me as a ‘lady.’
As I sat in the corner of the hall, forcing food down my throat, Kang Moon-soo walked through the door, laughing loudly. Seeing me, he muttered, “He was a fucking crazy bastard.” Kim Jeong-suk, who was smoking heavily opposite me, asked the swaggering Kang Moon-soo for the reason.
“Who?”
“This brat.”
“Why.”
“I found out why that guy is so into him.”
Kang Moon-soo flopped down beside Kim Jeong-suk. He poured a glass of water, gulped it down quickly, and grinned while licking his lips.
“This little fucker went in wearing dress shoes. Into CEO Chu’s room. He went in determined to seduce him.”
“What did he wear?”
“Dress shoes. I’ve got a former classmate among the boys down there. He told me. He asked if our coffee shop was for transgenders.”
I tried to pretend I didn’t hear until the end, but they wouldn’t leave me alone. I put down my utensils and glared at the two people smirking in front of me. Kang Moon-soo leaned over the table toward me, supporting himself with both hands. A filthy smile spread across his face.
“Wow. Did you get hard after hearing he has a big dick? Do you want a taste too?”
“….”
“So, how did it look in stolen contentperson? I heard [visit our site]you were visit our sitegetting some action when you went in. Was it wide open?”
“…Stop it. I think your mouth is starting to slip again.”
At my words, Kang Moon-soo, who I thought would flip the table, surprisingly just laughed. Piece of shit… I muttered and sat back down, taking out a cigarette. Kim Jeong-suk held out a lighter to light it for the man who was like her own son. After taking a deep drag, Kang Moon-soo exhaled a thick cloud of smoke and laughed unpleasantly once more.
“I’m sure there’ll be a day for that. He probably gave that much of a tip because he wants something too.”
“….”
For a moment, the image of CEO Chu scanning my ankles overlapped with Kang Moon-soo’s face. I felt like the meat I’d swallowed was stuck in my chest, fluttering frantically.
“Anyway, I’m planning to put Min-jo in charge of Gimun starting tomorrow. What’s the point of leaving him alone? I should use him somehow to get the interest back. His mother is nowhere to be seen, whether she’s dead or alive.”
Kim Jeong-suk said to Kang Moon-soo as she crushed her cigarette. At those words, Kang Moon-soo frowned slightly.
“Still, don’t send him too often. It’ll be a headache if he actually gets hooked.”
“No matter what you say, how far would it go? He’ll probably just play around a few times and stop.”
“Geez, Noona, you’re so naive. That brat’s got a ‘back-dick,’ doesn’t he?”
I gripped the utensils I had neatly set down. My hands were shaking violently. If this had been a knife, Kim Jeong-suk and Kang Moon-soo would already be dead by my hand.
“The idea that you’re unlucky for three years after taking a back-dick is bullshit; I’ll bet my wrist that the moment CEO Chu sees his, he’ll lose his mind. Want to bet?”
“Fuck, are you crazy!”
Unable to contain the boiling rage, I bolted upright and flung the utensils across the table.
“Making someone feel like shit while they’re eating!”
“Why is this little fucker acting up visit our siteagain? Is it because I called him stolen contenta back-dick? Then what should I call a back-dick, a back-pussy? Alright, you back-pussy. Happy now?”
“Do you two not know the meaning of moderation? Do you think I stay here because I’m an idiot? Enough is enough, enough! Fuck, if you want to use me so bad—”
“Is this son of a bitch insane? Hey, come here. I’ll fucking kill you today. I tried to take this as a joke, but—”
Kim Jeong-suk hurriedly stopped Kang Moon-soo as he tried to stand. “I’ll do it, I’ll do it. You just stay seated.” Then, she stood up in his place, poured water from a stainless steel cup, and splashed it right in my face. Immediately after, she grabbed my hair tightly.
“Don’t go off the rails, you brat. I can only protect you so many times. If you hate it, bring me money.”
“….”
The water flowing down my face felt like tears I had never shed.
I pushed Kim Jeong-suk’s hand away and pulled out tissues to wipe the water from my face. I threw the wet tissues on the table and turned around. I didn’t want to exchange another word with these filthy people who gossiped about other people’s dicks. From behind, Kim Jeong-suk spoke.
“I’ve put someone to watch you. Keep that in mind as you wander around.”
I don’t give a fuck. Since I don’t know, why don’t you just eat Kang Moon-soo’s dick, Mrs. Kim Jeong-suk.
As of today, my attempt to quit smoking was over.
I woke up to the sensation of someone kicking me in the ribs. I forced my eyes open and looked up to see Kim Jeong-suk standing over me, holding a basin of water.
“Want me to pour this on you, or are you going to get up nicely?”
Without panicking, I curled my body like a shrimp. I pulled the blanket over me and groaned, as if asking for mercy just for today.
“Just one more hour… I really feel like I’m going to die…”
“I’m counting to three. One.”
However, my opponent was Kim Jeong-suk, who was well-versed in handling me.
“Two.”
“Ten minutes, just ten minutes… I don’t ask for more. Please…?”
“For your information, this is hot water.”
“….”
“Want me to count higher?”
“Ah, yes, yes, I’m getting up. I’m getting up. Ah, I said I’m getting up!”
At the gesture of pouring the water, I immediately threw off the blanket and sat bolt upright. I’d been hit with cold water many times, but hot water was a first. She had so many ways to torture people; she truly never gave me a break. But perhaps because I had sat up too quickly, my stomach—having downed two bottles of liquor the night before—suddenly surged with nausea.
“Ugh!”
I pushed aside Kim Jeong-suk, who flinched while holding the basin, and rushed to the bathroom, clutching the toilet. As I knelt and bowed my head, the pain began to pour out.
“I knew this would happen. You’ve got some nerve, acting like you can handle liquor.”
Kim Jeong-suk, who had followed me in, slapped me on the back and then proceeded to pour water all over me. Fortunately, it was cold water, not hot.
Hearing my squawking from first thing in the morning seemed to have angered him considerably. The empty water bucket hit the back of my head with a hollow thud and fell to the floor.
“You should be grateful you met someone like me. If you’d been caught by some other bitch, you’d be dead already.”
As Kim Jeong-suk walked out and closed the door, convinced of his own kindness, I slumped down onto the bathroom floor—which didn’t even have tiles—and stripped off my wet clothes. After struggling with a face full of disgust to peel off the clinging fabric, I picked up the bucket and crawled on my knees toward the sink.
My mouth watered and my limbs trembled. Fuck, who the hell did I drink that alcohol for?
I hadn’t drunk the strong soju on an empty stomach because of the things [unauthorized copy]I’d heard at the dinner table. I had gone out [stolen content]yesterday and wandered the streets for a long time; even when I was killing time unauthorized copyat an arcade I found while walking, I had no intention of drinking. By then, my anger had mostly subsided.
I could have slept at a cheap ten-thousand-won-a-night inn, but knowing I’d be nagged to death by Kim Jeong-suk the next day, I decided to return to the coffee shop where the lodging was, even if I hated it. Though the “lodging” was nothing more than a tiny storage room not even one pyeong in size.
To avoid Kim Jeong-suk, I intentionally arrived long after closing time, but for some reason, the lights in the shop were dimly lit. Wondering if they were playing cards in the hall instead of the office, I quietly opened the door and looked inside. And then, fuck.
‘Does it taste good, the cock?’
‘Mmm, Moon-soo! Fuck, it feels so good. Do it more, more!’
‘Like this? If I thrust it like this?’
‘Ah! I’m gonna die! Moon-soo, I’m really gonna die! Why are you always trying to kill me!’
Seeing Kim Jeong-suk and Kang Moon-soo tangled together like beasts, moaning on the sofa in the dim hall, I felt my stomach twist so hard I thought I’d die. At the sound of Kang Moon-soo’s panting voice telling him to spread wider, I almost vomited the little I had in my stomach.
I ran straight back out, pleaded with the man at the convenience store who was trying to close unauthorized copyhis door, and bought two bottles of soju. Ignoring the man’s suggestion to drink them at home, I stolen contentstood in front of the store and forced both bottles down my throat.
Those dog-like bastards. There was no way they didn’t know I was coming. Seeing as they hadn’t locked the door, it was undoubtedly a performance put on for me to see. They must have enjoyed the thrill, glancing at the door every now and then, wondering when Min-jo would arrive. They must know I drank because of them, yet they had the audacity to wake me up and pour water on me with such shameless faces. No matter how I thought about it, “blood-ghost” was too mild a term for them.
Just you wait. The moment I get a chance, I’ll send you straight to hell. Cry all you want; I won’t forgive you. Grinding my teeth, I washed my body with cold water and stepped out, only for Kim Jeong-suk to throw a towel at my face as if he’d been waiting. If he wanted to give it to me, he should have done it sooner; he practically forced me to dry myself with my clothes. But there was something more annoying than that.
“I mean, Auntie. Humanly speaking, let’s turn on the hot water in the morning. I’m about to shatter from the cold. Can’t you see my jaw shaking here?”
“It’s hot as hell, what do you need hot water for? Shut up, put your clothes on and come out. Ms. Jin has a delivery.”
“Ms. Jin? Is she here, Noona?”
No sooner had I asked than Ms. Jin, who was returning to work after five days, appeared behind Kim Jeong-suk. It was a stroke of luck that I had covered my lower half with clothes. She greeted me.
“Min-jo, good morning. Did you sleep well?”
“O-oh, you’re here, Noona. I’ll get ready quickly and come out.”
“No, take your time. It’s fine if you’re a bit late to a place you know.”
With a bright smile, Ms. Jin suddenly approached me and gently placed her hand on my cheek. Then, she frowned and glared intensely at Kim Jeong-suk. It was a truly vicious expression.
“Unni, did you make this kid wash in cold water?”
“Then why wouldn’t they wash in cold water? If they want hot water, they should do something pretty first.”
“Is that something to be saying right now?”
At Kim Jeong-suk’s words, Ms. Jin let out a hollow laugh and suddenly screamed so loud it nearly burst my eardrums.
“Ah, stop tormenting the kid! Unni, what is wrong with you, you’re getting worse by the day! Don’t you think you should provide at least a minimum level of decent treatment?”
“My eardrums are gonna pop, you bitch! Why [unauthorized copy]so [unauthorized copy]unlucky first thing in the morning? Mind your own business and go take care of your Obong! Aren’t you going out for delivery?”
“Does delivery matter right now when they’re in this state? How can I take a kid like this with me!”
It was another moment where I fell for Ms. Jin. In that instant, she looked so beautiful that I wanted her to be my woman. Though I had already fallen for her countless times since coming here.
“What’s… what’s wrong with them?”
“Are you joking? Can’t you see there’s not a drop of color in their face?”
For this reason, Ms. Jin was my favorite person at Hobak. She was the only one who stepped up as if it were her own business to speak for me and take care of me. At thirty-eight, she had a very long history with Kim Jeong-suk, and uniquely, Kim Jeong-suk was in a position of owing her money. Perhaps that was why she could freely snap at Kim Jeong-suk in ways the other girls couldn’t. I didn’t know how much the money was, but seeing Kim Jeong-suk back down at Ms. Jin’s shouting, it was clearly a significant amount. Talk about a double standard.
Sighing, Ms. Jin held my face with her warm hands. Her light brown eyes scanned my face as she spoke.
“Seriously, Unni. If you have eyes, look at the kid’s face. Their lips are all cracked, standing there like a child who hasn’t had a drop of porridge. When have I ever acted like this toward you just to get my money back?”
“Ugh, alright, alright. I’ll tone it [stolen content]down. Min-jo, from tomorrow, don’t ask—just turn on the hot [visit our site]water yourself and wash. Happy?”
“I’m serious, Unni. This is how it’s decided whether girls stay or leave a place like this. Do you know what I mean?”
“I said I get it! Honestly, anyone would think you’re the wife. Do you actually have some ulterior motive?”
“Do I look like I’d want that at my age?”
In the end, Kim Jeong-suk left first. Ms. Jin glared at Kim Jeong-suk until the very end as he grumbled his way to the kitchen.
“Living with a murderer bastard, I guess she wants to become a murderer too. That fucking bitch, ruining my mood first thing in the morning. If it weren’t for the money, I would’ve ditched someone like you long ago, you piece of shit.”
If it weren’t for the age difference, I would have kissed her already. That’s how damn cool Ms. Jin was. The way she let go of my face and put a cigarette in her mouth was pure charisma.
“Thank you, Noona. Every time…”
“Cut it out. I didn’t do it [unauthorized copy]to hear that. Just grab the car keys. I’ll go by myself.”
“No, let’s go together. I think it’s better if we go together. Just five minutes. I’ll get ready quickly and come out!”
It was better to drive even while holding onto my splitting head than to stay with Kim Jeong-suk. Since I couldn’t show my backside, I backed away toward the storage room, and Ms. Jin turned around to make space for me. She knew exactly how to handle a person’s heart.
My physical condition was poor due to the hangover, but my mood became fantastic. Enough to make me forget the horrific scene I saw yesterday.
On days when I received someone’s protection, something good always happened, whether big or small, and for some reason, I had a feeling today would be the same. Not just something good, but a feeling that a massive stroke of luck was about to hit.
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