By Zephyria As if he could see right through him, Lee Do-hyeon asked with a smile. Ryu Jeong, who had only been looking at Lee Do-hyeon, looked around for the first time. He didn’t know what it used to look like, but it was unimaginable that a hotel, not a luxury apartment, might be built in Moon Village, which was probably a steep mountain.
“Why are you trying to build a hotel?”
“Is there a reason? It’s all because it’s profitable.”
“But Wolhyeon-dong is too… a hotel is a bit…”
“Doesn’t fit?”
Ryu Jeong missed the timing to say no because he was so blatantly hit. What if he gets upset? Ryu Jeong looked at Lee Do-hyeon with a very worried face. Fortunately, Lee Do-hyeon had a nonchalant expression.
He turned into an alley on the left from the street he was looking around. From this point on, Ryu Jeong walked ahead. It wasn’t much narrower than other alleys, and the number of stairs was relatively small, but the steep angle was unavoidable. He tried to choose the most decent path, but it was still a rough road, so Ryu Jeong quickened his pace out of embarrassment.
“They use Dalwol and Gogaehyeon for the name. Wolhyeon-dong.”
Ryu Jeong slowed down, startled by Lee Do-hyeon’s voice. It was the first time Ryu Jeong had heard Do Hwon say that, even though he had lived in Wolhyeon-dong for nearly 10 years. He knew Dalwol, but Gogaehyeon was a new Chinese character to him, and he blushed at his ignorance.
“Usually, Chinese characters are often attached with meanings related to the area.”
“Moon… Gogae?”
“Yes. I wondered why they used those Chinese characters, but I realized it when I looked up from the convenience store where Jeong works.”
Lee Do-hyeon briefly raised his eyes to the still bright sky, as if he were looking up at the sunset. Ryu Jeong also looked up at the sky. His eyes closed involuntarily due to the glare.
“The moon was hanging over the hill.”
“Ah…”
“Have you ever seen it?”
“No… I’ve looked down a lot while going to work, but I don’t think I’ve ever looked up at the sky. Even if it was there, I wouldn’t have thought like President…”
“Look at it sometime. How should I say it? You’ll end up looking up to it. It’s not easy to find a dark place in Seoul, but it’s really dark here, so the moon looks especially bright.”
Why couldn’t he have thought of that? Ryu Jeong nodded at Lee Do-hyeon’s suggestion.
“People want their things to be bigger than others. It’s instinctive. Big, tall, shiny, and expensive-looking things. A prime example would be the top floor of an apartment, a penthouse. The desire for others to look up to them, vanity, is money to me.”
“…”
“I didn’t completely dismiss the idea of an apartment. I just thought that if I was going to build something anyway, it would be better to build something that could screw someone over, so I decided on a hotel.”
A hint of mockery was contained in the voice that easily explained the explanation that was difficult for him to understand. Screw someone over. Ryu Jeong knew that it wasn’t the kind of taffy you eat. It wasn’t a vulgar curse, but he was a little surprised that he had such a feeling towards someone, so he looked back. Lee Do-hyeon’s eyes met his immediately, as if he had been watching his back the whole time.
“Are you curious about who I want to screw over?”
Ryu Jeong hesitated and stopped walking. The two people, who had naturally stopped in the middle of the alley, faced each other. Perhaps because he was standing a few steps ahead in the steep alley, Ryu Jeong was at the same height as Lee Do-hyeon, who was standing behind him.
He didn’t nod or answer that he was curious, but Lee Do-hyeon gave the answer to the riddle in a steady voice.
“My mother and Hyung.”
Ryu Jeong’s eyes widened at the mention of those who should never have come out. Lee Do-hyeon smirked as if he expected it.
“You must think I’m such a parricide, right?”
“…”
“Hmm… you’re not saying no.”
“N-no, that’s not it…”
“It’s okay. I don’t intend to be a filial son either.”
He didn’t exactly think he was a parricide. He was just a little surprised at how he could do that. Lee Do-hyeon didn’t seem to care, but Ryu Jeong felt sorry for some reason and bit his lip.
“Well, I don’t share a drop of blood with my mother. I’m only a half-brother with my Hyung.”
“Half-brother…?”
“The mother who gave birth to me was a woman my father met for fun. The mother who raised me… the expression is a bit funny, but anyway, the mother who raised me is my father’s legal spouse. If you think about it, I’m an outsider.”
“…”
“You must think my family is a bit of a mess, right?”
“No, it’s not.”
“It’s true, though. I won’t be offended at all if you think that way.”
Lee Do-hyeon even smiled as if he meant it. The darker Do Hwon’s smile became, the more Ryu Jeong’s face turned pale. He felt like he had just heard something huge, but was it okay?
“Anyway, for my plan to succeed, Jeong also needs to cooperate.”
He snapped back to his senses at those words. The cooperation he was talking about was the residents’ consent, which was the top priority in the work for the hotel construction. It was something that had been planned since Lee Do-hyeon mentioned the word redevelopment to him, but he was so distracted by other things that he only remembered it now.
Perhaps thinking that he had no intention of cooperating because he was just blinking blankly, Lee Do-hyeon sighed deeply, saying that he had expected it.
“I’m not forcing you. I know that no one would sign happily when their house is about to disappear overnight, so Jeong should do as he pleases, but when the time comes when you have no choice but to agree, demand more than twice what you want.”
“What I want…?”
“Money. Compensation. I’ll match whatever it is. I promise.”
There had been talk of redevelopment several times so far, but it had never reached the stage of discussing compensation. But Ryu Jeong knew that Lee Do-hyeon wasn’t being sincere. The people who went around getting the residents’ consent always threatened that they should get at least a small amount of money, no matter when or how many people there were.
“Then… can I tell you now?”
“Yes.”
That’s why he couldn’t believe Lee Do-hyeon’s offer. No matter how much he got, it was obvious that it would be difficult to find even a room where he could lay his body. He had to get something else. Ryu Jeong hesitated for a moment and decided to say what came to his mind.
“If the hotel is completed, can you give me just one job…?”
“A job?”
Lee Do-hyeon frowned as if he couldn’t understand why Ryu Jeong was talking about a job instead of money. Ryu Jeong, who couldn’t bring himself to meet his eyes and was looking down, tore at his hangnails because he felt uneasy for some reason.
“What kind of work do you want exactly?”
“Anything is fine. Cleaning is fine, serving is fine…”
What is he going to do with all that money he’s desperately saving? Do Hwon closed his eyes tightly as if he had a headache, then frowned and stared at Ryu Jeong.
“…a great…”
“Can’t you do a moderate job?”
“Yes?”
“There are many other jobs. Not hard physical labor.”
Ryu Jeong couldn’t hide his embarrassment and rolled his eyes. He guessed that a job was too much. Well, as he said, if they built a hotel in a place that everyone would look up to, it would be very luxurious, and there was no way they would hire a shabby employee like him.
“Still… I’ve worked at a hotel a few times. I’ve carried dishes at hotel wedding halls, and I’ve set up tables at banquets when there were events. If I shouldn’t be seen by customers, then other places are fine. I can wash dishes all day. Anything that involves physical labor is fine.”
Ryu Jeong tried his best to change Lee Do-hyeon’s mind. He tried to remember to let him know that he had experience at a hotel, even though he had only worked there briefly for a day. The more he did, the worse Lee Do-hyeon’s mood became. He felt dizzy at the sudden self-promotion.
“Actually, I didn’t even graduate from high school, and I don’t know how to do anything. The only thing I have is my body, so… I have nothing to do but physical labor.”
His pleading voice trembled. The only thing he has is his body. Lee Do-hyeon wanted to ask him if he really thought so, even after seeing his clothes that were too big for his thin frame and his thin wrist with protruding bones that were visible outside his sleeves every time he reached for chopsticks.
“You’ll die if you do that.”
Lee Do-hyeon interrupted Ryu Jeong, as if his head was throbbing.
“…Yes?”
“I said you’ll die if you do that.”
Lee Do-hyeon, who had become displeased, didn’t hide his fierce expression and stared sharply at Ryu Jeong. He didn’t know what to do with this child who barely ate, couldn’t sleep properly, and tried to work as much as possible. He couldn’t lock him up somewhere and tell him to just eat and sleep all day. Although quite violent and sadistic thoughts flashed through his mind, Lee Do-hyeon was not aware of it because he was swayed by his immediate feelings.
“It’s not that bad…”
Ryu Jeong looked around, sensing the unusual atmosphere, but Lee Do-hyeon didn’t care. Then he smiled. If he couldn’t lock him up, he could at least give him something to eat. Ryu Jeong flinched at the painted smile.
“Jeong’s house, what’s the exact address?”
“Why do you want to know that…?”
Caution suddenly appeared on Ryu Jeong’s face. He thought he had opened his heart quickly because he followed him well like a puppy and answered all his questions, but that wasn’t the case. Well, it’s natural to be wary if someone asks for your home address after only meeting a few times. The atmosphere wasn’t good until a while ago either. Do Hwon put on the most innocent expression he could and said.
“It’s nothing, I was just wondering if I could send you a gift.”
“A gift…?”
“Yes. Just a bribe to ask you to take care of me until the day you sign the consent form.”
“It’s okay. You don’t have to give me anything…”
“It’s meat and fruit? Hmm, I heard there’s a grandmother and a few other people here. I’m going to give it to them too, so if you know their addresses, tell me.”
Ryu Jeong’s heart wavered for a moment because it wasn’t just for him, but for the other residents of Wolhyeon-dong as well, and he swallowed hard. If it was meat or fruit, he definitely wanted to give it to the elders. But if he just accepted it, he felt like they would ask for something, so it was ambiguous to readily agree.
Lee Do-hyeon waited politely, without urging or scolding Ryu Jeong, who continued to worry in silence. After what seemed like a long silence, Ryu Jeong opened his mouth with a determined look, as if he had made a decision.
“I’ll gratefully accept it, but cars can’t come up to our neighborhood… The delivery driver has to walk up… Just leave it at the convenience store. I’ll deliver it to the elders.”
“Even if Jeong has good stamina, that’s impossible. It’s not just anything, and it’s even more so with meat and fruit. Can you really carry it all by yourself?”
He threw out the words with the intention of getting a negative answer. Ryu Jeong closed his mouth because he had nothing to say in response. He was trained from working at the logistics center, but he didn’t have the confidence to carry heavy loads up and down the steep road.
“What if someone takes Jeong’s package without knowing it’s yours?”
“Since it’s where I work anyway…”
Ryu Jeong trailed off. He couldn’t continue speaking. If it was anyone else, Noh Hee-cheol might open his package without permission.
Lee Do-hyeon stretched the corners of his mouth, as if he had anticipated what kind of answer would come out after seeing his troubled expression. The cell phone that came out of his coat pocket was already in Ryu Jeong’s hands.
“I know the district, so just tell me the rest of the address. I’ll take care of the rest.”
“Yes…”
Ryu Jeong answered sullenly and started typing one letter at a time, holding the unfamiliar cell phone. It took quite a while, but Lee Do-hyeon didn’t say anything and waited until the end.
Lee Do-hyeon, who had been looking at the fingers that were slowly fidgeting as he pressed the keyboard, raised his eyes and looked at Ryu Jeong’s face. His eyebrows were furrowed and his forehead was narrowed because things weren’t going his way. He forgot to blink because he was so focused, and his eyelashes fluttered every time he closed and opened his eyes. He rolled his lips inward and chewed as if he was eating something, and then licked his tongue during a brief pause.
“Um, here… the one at the top is my house, and I’ve written down the addresses of the other people in order. I wrote down things like the color of the gate in case you get lost… but please erase it if it’s too complicated.”
The small tip of his tongue lightly moistened his lips and went in. His lips, which were wet with saliva, were quite red, as if he had chewed on them a lot with his teeth for a moment. No matter how extreme heat it was, an Omega was an Omega. There were more than one or two things that caught his eye.
“President…?”
Embarrassment appeared on Ryu Jeong’s face because Lee Do-hyeon was just staring at him without answering. He had a cell phone because he needed it to work part-time, but most employers notified him by text message, so Ryu Jeong rarely had to write messages himself. So, he was proud of himself for writing down the address, which was only a few letters, but for some reason, he didn’t have any special reaction.
Is there something on my face…? Ryu Jeong, whose polite hands had become awkward, called Lee Do-hyeon again with a helpless face.
“President…”
“…Ah.”
Lee Do-hyeon, who had been watching Ryu Jeong’s lips moving, raised his eyes at the small call. As soon as his eyes met Ryu Jeong’s, Lee Do-hyeon looked away as if he had never looked at him.
“Did you write everything down? I’ll tell them to check carefully so there won’t be any misdelivery.”
“Ah… thank you.”
“What are you thanking me for?”
Lee Do-hyeon put away his cell phone without even looking at the address Ryu Jeong had written down. He lightly ruffled Ryu Jeong’s hair, who was bowing his head repeatedly to thank him, and walked ahead. But not long after, Lee Do-hyeon had to stop in front of a dead end. No, it wasn’t that there was no road at all, but it seemed that the road had been cut off by the piles of junk that had been dumped there.
“Jeong. It seems like this is a dead end.”
“Ah… I’m sorry. I think I went down the wrong path. You can go this way.”
Lee Do-hyeon also moved his steps, watching Ryu Jeong’s back as he quickly guided him to another side path, though he was momentarily embarrassed. He narrowed his brow as if he was in trouble when Ryu Jeong’s gaze fell. Then, when Ryu Jeong turned around to explain, he put on an expression as if nothing had happened. After repeating that several times, he was able to finish seeing as much as Ryu Jeong had initially intended.
Of course, since the neighborhood itself was large, he couldn’t see everything in just an hour or two. There were many alleys he hadn’t been to besides the ones Ryu Jeong had arbitrarily excluded. Ryu Jeong acted as if he would like to look around a little more if it was okay with Lee Do-hyeon, even though he had muttered sadly that he had nowhere to go if the neighborhood was demolished.
But Lee Do-hyeon wasn’t so inconsiderate as to drag around someone who looked tired at first glance. Lee Do-hyeon, who had taken Ryu Jeong, who was repeatedly mumbling the words he usually said as a habit, to the alley in front of his house, turned around and came down only after confirming that Ryu Jeong had closed the gate and entered.
He skillfully grabbed the steering wheel, returned home, and leaned back on the sofa that could not be found in Ryu Jeong’s house. The desire to swallow his soft-looking lips in one bite, which had suddenly struck his head, did not disappear even though it was impulsive.