1.1 That Neighborhood (4)
“Are you retarded?” A faint laugh clings to the end of his voice. Despite the clear mockery in his tone, the man simply kept his mouth shut and blinked. Seeing that he didn’t even realize he was being teased, Guichang wondered if he was perhaps a bit slow.
“…….”
“Fine. I’ll pay you the highest rate possible, so run some errands for me too.”
It seemed pride wasn’t an issue, as Geum Seoul nodded.
“Yes.”
“When is it? The next auction.”
“The day after tomorrow.”
“If you help me find Lee Hee-jung until then, I’ll give you a hundred times what you usually get.”
“…….”
“Does that get you hard now?”
Geum Seoul, who had been staring somewhere at the stone floor that smelled of a mix of iron and water, lifted his head with a startled expression. As his eyelashes fluttered upward, it almost seemed as if they would make a soft sound. At that moment, Guichang wore a smile that looked as if it had been meticulously drawn with a compass. Even the way the other’s face flushed slightly was exactly as calculated.
Thump. Thump.
Geum Seoul diligently shook out a blanket hanging on a long clothesline. No matter how hard he struck it with his palms, the wrinkles wouldn’t flatten perfectly, but as long as it dried well, he could lay it out reasonably neatly on the mattress.
Tap.
He lightly shook off his shriveled, wet hands from hanging the laundry and flopped down on one side of the dry roof. The sun lay low behind him, casting long shadows at his feet.
Yesterday, the rain had fallen fiercely all day, but today, the sun had poked through from early morning without a single cloud, beginning to emit a maddening heat. The thermometer Park Gil-pyeong had hung on one side of the building was climbing past 38 degrees Celsius toward 40, and the locals had scattered in search of cool spots since the morning. In the meantime, Geum Seoul had finished a short errand and hurried to wash the laundry, hanging the items one by one on the clean clothesline.
‘If you help me find Lee Hee-jung until then, I’ll give you a hundred times what you usually get.’
The smiling man’s face suddenly intruded into his mind. Geum Seoul quickly rubbed his earlobe. Perhaps the sudden spike in heat had transferred to his hand, as his fingers felt slick.
As Rini had said, he had never seen someone who looked like that before. He understood instantly what people meant when they said someone looked ‘like a painting,’ and whenever the corners of the man’s mouth curled up, he would unconsciously lose himself or feel the strength leave his toes. Why live so frighteningly with a face like that? Geum Seoul exhaled deeply, pulling his knees to his chest.
—With the rain stopping, the full-scale heatwave has begun again. Heatwave warnings have been issued for areas including Seoul….
It was just as the weather forecast he’d briefly heard on the radio had said. Despite being drenched in sweat from the scorching sun, Geum Seoul, who was adept at enduring such conditions, simply blinked without moving for a moment.
His pocket felt heavy. Leaning back slightly from his crouched position, he pulled out something that stretched the worn fabric of his clothes tight. A small water bottle, about the size of a palm. The label on the transparent plastic bottle was something he had never seen before.
‘You need to drink plenty of water if you’re exhausted. Take it.’
The water bottle he received yesterday remained unopened. Every time he Read on Read BL Novelstilted the bottle, it made a strange glugging sound, creating air bubbles.
A police officer. He recalled the dazzlingly flashing hologram badge. The police he had occasionally encountered while wandering the lawless alleys were generally indifferent and uncaring. That was his memory. Still, that man must be a good person, right? Because he said he would take Lee Hee-jung back to his parents. The very fact that he came all this way to find a Jewel Omega, who was treated as less than human, suggested as much. Even if it were because of his job, Geum Seoul chose to attribute the reason to kindness.
The errands he was asked to do weren’t much. It was mostly asking him to deliver water to colleagues scattered here and there, or to introduce the neighborhood to his subordinates. For Geum Seoul, who knew everything about the surrounding area, it was no trouble at all. Moreover, the personality of the person called a subordinate was warmer than he had expected.
‘I’m sorry about before. You must have been scared, right?’
‘No. I lied… I didn’t know you were a police officer.’
‘It was a mission where I couldn’t reveal my identity. Please keep it a secret.’
‘I will.’
They had even had a conversation like that. Having received that level of consideration, Geum Seoul felt it was even less of a chore.
Screeech.
The familiar sound of a hinge came from the building entrance. Naturally shifting his gaze from the water bottle, Geum Seoul looked past the edge of the roof toward the alley.
“…….”
Guichang. The man, whose very title felt cold, was stepping outside while talking to a subordinate. Even though his expression was unremarkable, Geum Seoul found his eyes repeatedly drawn to him.
As if intending to smoke, he took a small cigarette from a silver case and opened [stolen [visit our site]content]his mouth. His lips, which had been neatly closed, parted. Feeling as though he were spying, Geum Seoul’s cheeks warmed.
“Ah.”
Of all times, their eyes met. How did he know he was watching? He wasn’t really spying, and he had even been outside first, yet he recoiled in surprise. He shifted his hips, wondering if he should stand up. The man, who seemed to smile for a moment, slightly furrowed his dark eyebrows before frowning completely. Geum Seoul knew the reason for this. It was because the sun, leaning toward the roof, was blinding.
However, the man didn’t bother to move; he lit his cigarette right there and continued his conversation. Geum Seoul couldn’t hear what was being said, nor was he curious.
Geum Seoul stood up. He gathered the clothes lined up on the clothesline and pulled the blanket he had hung on the left to the right. Although wrinkles formed again in the fabric he had worked so hard to shake out, he didn’t shake it this time. He feared the sound would travel down below the roof.
After neatly hanging the clothes again and pinning them with colorful clothespins, Geum Seoul picked up the water bottle and entered the building.
“Deputy. I have a report from the guys attached to No Pil-gyu. They’re starting to get suspicious because the reporting interval is getting longer, so please contact them within 30 minutes….”
“…….”
Listening to Yoo Jeong-ham’s report while puffing on the filter, Guichang’s gaze could now shift toward the low roof. The boiling sun, which had been piercing his eyes until a moment ago, was now blocked by a large blanket. It was the work of Geum Seoul, who had just disappeared past the window frame.
It seemed he had re-washed the blanket that had been stained with rainwater. Besides that, cheap pieces of cloth that he had diligently gathered and re-hung were sizzling under the sunlight that had been vomiting heat since morning.
“Is there a statistical summary of Omega Pheromone types?”
“Uh, I don’t know about statistics, but they vary from person to person. A friend I met previously smelled like sulfur….”
Given a slight opening, Yoo Jeong-ham began to chatter away. As he said, the scent of an Omega was something that couldn’t [visit our site]be specifically categorized or organized. However, Read [unauthorized copy]on Read BL Novelsrecalling the scents of Omegas he had encountered in life, they were usually sweet. A scent like flowers or fruit soaked in sugar. A depth that made the nose sting. Even being near them for a moment was unpleasant, but Geum Seoul…
Thump.
Having been on the roof just a moment ago, he suddenly pushed open the first-floor door and stepped out. Despite having watched from above, he brushed past them with quick steps as if nothing had happened. Guichang’s gaze caught the end of that shadow.
Beeeep—
Then, a long mechanical sound echoed chillingly through the village. Yoo Jeong-ham immediately frowned and looked up. A black lamppost. Far above the lights that turned on in the evening. The source of the noise was a speaker attached to a pole that rose exceptionally high and sharp compared to other regions. Usually, such things are installed in small towns for broadcasts, but it didn’t suit a ruined village like this.
Screeech. Clang.
Whether it had been hit by something someone threw or was simply a mark of time, the horn that spread the sound was broken, leaving the round speaker exposed. However, what emerged from the decayed plastic was not an announcement. It was literally an unpleasant noise. It sounded like the noise made by rubbing a rusted hinge, followed by a sound like fingernails scratching a steel plate. The sound of someone snickering was attached to it. Guichang tilted his chin slightly.
It was only natural that Yoo Jeong-ham, who was still unfamiliar with this neighborhood, looked toward Geum Seoul, who had just passed by. Geum Seoul, who was heading out for an errand, also glanced at the speaker and turned back. It was a guide for the stranger.
“This goes off about four or five times a week.”
“Four or five times a week? Why?”
Yoo Jeong-ham, already disgusted and covering one ear, raised his voice. Sure enough, the team members waiting on the first floor of the building rushed out to find the source of the noise, only to line up upon seeing their two superiors. While the team members were accustomed to the terrible noise and only glanced at it, Geum Seoul, whose shoulders twitched slightly as if tense, took a step closer.
“I heard they play it to drive us out.”
“Ah.”
Yoo Jeong-ham let out a short sound. A news report from several years ago came to mind. A time when abandoned houses were increasing and crimes by the extreme poor gathered in empty homes were rampant. It was the Extermination Broadcast started by the government before last, claiming they would root out the abandoned villages.
“Wow. This is actually real. I’d only heard rumors.”
The sound had now changed into a very high and irritating high-frequency noise. It was horrific to hear such noise, which felt like it would cause a headache out of nowhere, four or five times a week. Everywhere he looked, there were only conditions that made one pity him.
Yoo Jeong-ham immediately headed toward the nearest utility pole, but the footrests that should have been there were gone. They had been intentionally cut off, the surfaces so flat that not even a single finger could catch. It meant that even the act of climbing up had been blocked. The sheer malice was palpable in the way sharp iron bars had been added over and over to the pole to force the speaker up above the high-voltage lines.
“How long does this last?”
“Um…. It didn’t play yesterday or the day before, so it’ll probably keep playing for a few days. But it’s okay if you use earplugs. Cotton works too…. Should I give you some?”
“No. That’s okay.”
Of all times. No Pil-gyu was as suspicious as he was greedy. Since he was currently abroad on a business trip, it was natural for him to keep tracking his subordinates, so they had used a program to bypass location signals, but they couldn’t avoid reporting calls.
“Is there anywhere this can’t be heard? Like a building blocked on all sides. Even for just an hour. I need to make some important calls.”
A call would likely come soon. It would be easier to avoid suspicion and be more comfortable if he made a call beforehand under the guise of a report, but he asked because it seemed he would have to travel quite a distance to get away from this noise that played like they were chasing away bugs.
At that, Geum Seoul’s gaze landed on Guichang. He was still holding the end of a cigarette, standing a couple of steps away from the two men. Unlike Yoo Jeong-ham, who was still frowning at the unpleasant noise, he had a blank expression, merely shrugging his shoulders as if he heard nothing. His attitude was one of ‘I don’t know anything about this.’
If ordered, it might be possible to turn off the broadcast for a while, but since this was a secret outing hidden from the higher-ups, he would first have to find out which agency was responsible for it. Moreover, to avoid leaving any traces that would catch No Pil-gyu’s eye, the best course of action was [unauthorized [stolen content]wm: stolen content -->copy]not to touch it. For Guichang and the team members, the noise was annoying but sufficiently bearable.
If all else failed, they could just drive down and make the call where the noise faded. It was a time-consuming method, and he might face some suspicion from No Pil-gyu about what he’d been doing until he called first, but a way to overcome it would eventually be found.
Nevertheless, Guichang simply watched Geum Seoul’s reaction. Meeting his eyes, the youth hesitated for a moment. It was a minute movement, but Guichang noticed he was fumbling with his bulging pocket.
“Um….”
What was in that pocket was the water bottle he had given him. The act of reciprocating a brief kindness shown by another. Guichang’s gaze returned to the bright light-brown hair. Thin strands of hair were clinging to his temples, which were beaded with sweat from the heatwave. Having already looked away from him, Geum Seoul answered in a slightly smaller voice.
“Is one hour enough?”
Yoo Jeong-ham’s eyes lit up, and he nodded quickly. Saying that this was why it was good to have someone who knew the village well, he gave Geum Seoul’s back a light pat with his calloused hand. It was his characteristic affability. Guichang simply averted his gaze from them. The day was far too hot.
No Pil-gyu, who spoke nonsense in a voice that sounded like phlegm was rattling in his throat, picked up his chopsticks again in the hologram. He was eating something from a pale bowl, with noodles coming out endlessly and entering his mouth in a vulgar manner.
“Yes.”
Guichang replied expressionlessly, but behind him, Yoo Jeong-ham, who was lining up with the team members, had to use all his strength to control his facial muscles.
Gulp.
No Pil-gyu, who swallowed yellow liquor in one go, let out a ‘Kaaa’ sound and set the small glass down on the table. A half-cut hand popped out of the hologram to refill the glass. At this moment, the most miserable person would be the man pouring the drinks beside him.
“It’s the redevelopment area north of Sangjin-gu. It’s because of the investigation into the special favors for Kim Man-yong’s father-in-law that I mentioned last time.”
Kim Man-yong was someone who had long been at odds with No Pil-gyu. Since the other side was just as filthy, he was using him as bait, pretending to stir things up moderately. No Pil-gyu, who was cleaning his teeth with his tongue, making clicking sounds, narrowed his eyes like a snake.
A man who usually knew how to keep his mouth shut and never knew how to sweet-talk suddenly acting as if he would remove a thorn from his side—it seemed he immediately became suspicious. However, this time as well, there was no particular change in Guichang’s expression.
“I’m planning to investigate CEO Gwak Chun-young of Iljang Trading next month, and it seems there’s a connection with the Sangjin-gu construction company. If I clean him up first, it’ll be easier to find evidence,”
Clang!
No Pil-gyu threw his metal chopsticks down all at once and let out a raspy voice, saying, ‘This fucking shit, the noodles are all bloated and tasteless.’ As he pulled out a tissue to wipe his mouth, the man waiting nearby hurriedly leaned over to bring new chopsticks.
He leaped up the moment his weakness was touched. He had a look that said ‘Typical of you,’ but the suspicion had vanished. After gulping down his drink, his usual tantrums followed.
As the nagging grew longer, Yoo Jeong-ham and the team members exhaled long sighs. It was truly a terrible heat, where sweat leaked out so much that one felt like they would gag just by breathing. However, since No Pil-gyu loved to stand his subordinates in front of him and shout speeches with the veins in his neck popping, no one could move a single step.
It was utterly disgusting that he himself sat with his thick backside spread out, drinking liquor under the pretext of work, while spewing fake heroic tales to the subordinates who were busting their asses below.
Fortunately, there had been an order from Guichang. He had brought four cars to the blind spots on the left and right, invisible in the hologram, and parked them like a wall with the air conditioning on and the doors open toward them. If it weren’t for the occasional gentle breeze of cold air, it wouldn’t have been surprising if they had collapsed from heatstroke.
A steamer of a temperature that far exceeded human body heat. 2:40 PM. Even Yoo Jeong-ham, who was born in the hottest city in the country, was dripping with sweat as if he’d just taken a shower, and his monster of a boss was also soaking the back of his t-shirt. In the midst of that, the most monstrous part was that Guichang silently endured No Pil-gyu’s drunken tantrums without showing any sign of dislike.
Normally, he would have rambled for another 30 minutes, but a secretary whispered the next schedule into his ear. The fact that he was going to a banquet with a face already flushed red meant it was just a drinking appointment. Sure enough, No Pil-gyu, his thick cheekbones rounding with pleasure at the words, held out a thick index finger and beckoned.
Detailed what. Fuck, he hates reading letters as much as he hates biting his tongue. Everyone there thought so, but they were sufficiently delighted just by the call ending, so they could endure the grumbling unauthorized copyfor one more second. With the sound of a chair scraping, No Pil-gyu pulled away and disappeared from the hologram.
Ssh.
“Rest.”
“Hey. Go stick to the cars, and half of you go down to the lodging below. You’ll get heatstroke.”
Immediately after the short command, the people who had been frantically stripping off their t-shirts or flapping them around were sucked into the cars on both sides. Large frames crowded together, shutting the doors to lock in the cold air. Since Yoo Jeong-ham was also on the verge of suffocating in the sweltering heat, he offered the ghost-like man a separate car parked behind.
“Wow. This is truly brutal. Let’s cool off a bit before heading back into the neighborhood.”
Even so, it was just an open lot right below the village. When Yoo Jeong-ham turned off the other machines, the holograms that had been simulating the Sangjin-gu redevelopment zone behind the men also vanished. In the meantime, Guichang, who had received a water bottle and poured it over his head, shook out his wet hair. Streams of water trickled down his nape and soaked into his clothes.
“Have you thought about the placement of the kids for tomorrow?”
“Yes. Since we’re scraping them up from the bottom, the only place left to run is upward. But, in this heat, will Lee Hee-jung… even survive three days?”
“By now, that bastard has already bolted. Tomorrow is about catching the prick who helped him.”
“Yes…”
Yesterday, he had said it seemed likely he’d already left, but now he seemed entirely certain. He was leaping ahead in progress again. I should let him know. Yoo Jeong-ham stepped closer. It’s hot. Get lost. He backed off immediately at those words.
“You mean there’s someone else besides Geum Seoul?”
“Do you fucking call that a question? If you have any tongue left, chew it with your molars.”
Guichang was certain of it. It made no sense for someone to escape this place so easily or remain completely unseen for days without help. Someone in this neighborhood had helped Lee Hee-jung escape or was hiding him.
Since it was a new person, it wouldn’t be out of affection; it was likely money. Regardless, he had to find out by tomorrow. The people from Iljang Trading were currently searching for Lee Hee-jung with desperate intensity, and since No Pil-gyu would be entering Seoul the day after tomorrow, avoiding his eyes would become a hassle. Guichang, roughly brushing back his black hair that was tangled and wet, put on his sunglasses.
Clack.
As soon as Yoo Jeong-ham opened the door to the heavily tinted Humvee, a chilling blast of air conditioning rushed out. However, Guichang did not step inside. He took a cigarette from the case and lit it, his thick eyebrows furrowing slightly before he turned his head toward Yoo Jeong-ham.
“Hey.”
“Yes?”
“Where is Geum Seoul right now?”
“…Ah.”
The creepy noise that had persisted throughout the call with No Pil-gyu had completely vanished. Since only a minimum number of personnel were deployed below and the rest were called here to stand before No Pil-gyu, there was no one to trail Geum Seoul. As promised to buy him time, the noise had been perfectly cut off for over an hour and a half, and everyone had focused on deceiving No Pil-gyu.
Swish.
Turning his back to the car, Guichang headed toward a nearby dirt bike and tossed his sunglasses onto the ground. Yoo Jeong-ham, who quickly picked them up a couple of steps behind, also ran toward the remaining bike and turned on his radio.
“Everyone assemble at the open lot. Turn the cars around.”
It wasn’t a stretch to assume that Geum Seoul was using this gap to communicate separately with the hiding Lee Hee-jung. It was strange enough that a mere neighborhood errand boy could stop this broadcast. If he could turn it off simply because he ‘knew everything about this neighborhood,’ it was something that could have been resolved long ago instead of Guichang walking around with cotton stuffed in his ears.
The timing was also exquisite. It had been quiet when he first arrived in the village a few days ago, but today the broadcast had suddenly turned on as if it had been waiting. It was highly suspicious that the only person who knew how to turn it off happened to be the person hiding Lee Hee-jung. Was it someone from No Pil-gyu’s side? Or Gwak Chun-young?
“We’re taking the dirt bikes first, so follow us with the trikes mixed in.”
The spot where the two stood was the limit for cars entering the village. Two stained dirt bikes roared as if their engines would explode, carving into the mountain path.
Vroooom.
Dust sprayed backward and sideways, covering their vision. Without even calculating whether Yoo Jeong-ham was following properly behind him, Guichang leaned forward to lower his center of gravity, and the bike sliced through the slope like a nimble beast.
Screeech.
Eight minutes. Guichang slammed on the brakes atop the bike, which had swerved to avoid a large boulder. The rear wheel made a noise as it scraped the dark soil, and the pitch-black tire spun sideways, scattering gravel. Tightening the front brake in his grip, the man leaped off the iron horse as it came to a fierce halt and threw his helmet to the ground in the same manner. Thud. There was a sound of something cracking, but it quickly bounced and went still.
Screech.
Yoo Jeong-ham’s machine also stopped behind the man, who was already five steps ahead. Parking his bike more calmly than his boss, he removed his helmet and hurried to catch up.
Tap.
“What is it?”
However, there was no need to run. As soon as he entered the cramped alley of the neighborhood, Guichang stopped dead in his tracks. Yoo Jeong-ham stopped beside him with a puzzled expression.
A heatwave intense enough to soak through clothes. Yoo Jeong-ham, panting with a face as wet as if he had just washed, frowned and turned his head, following Guichang’s gaze. More accurately, he looked up.
“…….”
“Hah, no, fucking hell, what is that?”
Yoo Jeong-ham was horrified.
A square asphalt building marking the center of the neighborhood. The third floor, one level above the second where laundry was diligently hung. A rooftop cluttered with junk, where a worn-out, gapped wire fence served as a railing. One level above that. The eaves where the rooftop iron door was located. Geum Seoul was standing precariously on the very edge. He was poking the antenna at the top of a sharp iron spike on the corner of the building with a long stick.
His posture, standing on his tiptoes with his arms stretched out as far as they could go, was unstable, and even from a distance, his wet clothes clung clammily to his body as if he had fallen into water. At the highest point in this neighborhood, enduring the pouring 38-degree sunlight with his entire body, he had been standing in a posture like he was being punished for a full hour and forty-five minutes. Geum Seoul had endured it.
“Ha.”
Everything has a reason and a cause. Guichang had lived his entire life realizing that sentence. While doing this work, he had encountered countless murderous criminals and had to listen to an equal number of excuses and pretexts. Religion. Personal beliefs. Revenge. Family. Love. Emotion. All of those were reasons and causes.
Geum Seoul’s life was the same. In a life where he did errands for people and received a few hundred won at most, that money was the reason. Cheap labor for a cheap price. It was exactly that. If he had lived by converting his actions into money from a young age until now, he should have known how to set a corresponding value. In fact, Geum Seoul had said, ‘The price varies depending on what the errand is.’ This meant he was doing this because he was told he would be paid a hundred times the usual errand fee.
“…What the hell is that brat doing?”
And yet, a 1% intuition that this wasn’t everything scratched at Guichang’s nerves like a thin thread. Even though he knew that curiosity wouldn’t lead to anything special, that small probability moved Guichang’s feet.
“Uh… No. Never mind. Dismissed. Rest up.”
Hearing Yoo Jeong-ham’s voice giving orders over the radio beside him, the man entered the building. Although it was hot inside, the sun was blocked, so his skin didn’t sting as much as it did outside. He climbed the stairs with wide strides. He stepped up to the stairs above Geum Seoul’s room and pushed open the iron door.
Creeeeak.
He opened the door, took a couple of steps, and turned around. Beside the square protruding door, an iron ladder leaned diagonally. And Geum Seoul was still in the same position. Because it was a posture where he couldn’t easily look down, he seemed unable to see who it was even after hearing the door open. Looking up like this, he was far more drenched in sweat than he had appeared from a distance. From his hair to his clothes, he was soaked, just like when he had been caught in the rain.
“Geum Seoul.”
Guichang called.
“Yes.”
The answer was small, as if even his vocal cords were on the verge of melting.
“Let go.”
As if he had truly reached his limit, Geum Seoul, who had been trembling violently, let go the moment he received permission, almost making a popping sound.
Sizzle. Static.
Screeeech—clack. Clack.
Immediately, the noise began to ring through the neighborhood again. The box that received and transmitted the broadcast was likely connected here. Thump. With the sound of a collapsing body, Geum Seoul vanished from view. For a moment, Guichang thought he had died, but he had simply slumped down, as the sound of ragged breathing could be heard.
“Is… is it finished? The important… work.”
“Yeah.”
Even as he spoke, Guichang stepped back because he couldn’t see Geum Seoul’s face. He could see his shoes and shins. The trembling seemed to be convulsions caused by heatstroke. Guichang pushed the ladder aside. It made a heavy, grating sound.
“Come down.”
The roof, with its exposed concrete, was boiling hot. Even the ground where Geum Seoul lay was shimmering with heat haze.
There was no need to go up personally. However, Guichang had climbed onto the rooftop that looked like it could char even red meat black, pushed the ladder aside, waited for Geum Seoul to pull himself up after the convulsions, and finally watched as the boy raised his upper body and looked back and forth between the end of the ladder and himself.
“…….”
As he blinked with a face drenched in sweat, the perspiration clinging to his eyelashes fell like tears. Since they left marks on the gray floor as if they were about to sizzle, they weren’t tears. Geum Seoul, completely roasted red, moved his two legs outside the edge. Guichang reached out, and instead of stepping on the ladder, Geum Seoul reached both arms toward him and lowered his body as if falling.
Thump.
The man caught the boy, who wasn’t heavy, and lowered him down very simply. It was similar [stolen content]style="position:absolute;left:-9999px;font-size:0;">[unauthorized copy]to when he had rescued him from the window frame last time. [Read on Read BL Novels]From the sweat-soaked Geum Seoul, the scent of deep green still lingered. Only now, it was boiling hot.
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