#119

The condition of the cars on display was a complete mess. In the case of passenger cars, anyone could tell they should be scrapped, and the one or two that seemed decent had only been painted, with doors that wouldn’t even open properly. Surprisingly, only the three Porter trucks, the model Tae-heun had mentioned, were in good condition. They looked pretty good for used cars.

Tae-heun hesitated in front of the trucks and pointed to one of them. Kim Byung-chan, who had been standing far away, nodded as if he understood and gestured for them to go inside the office.

He let Tae-heun go in first, finished his cigarette, and then followed.

“It’s best if you see it, sir.”

Kim Byung-chan, who had been speaking informally, called Tae-heun “sir” and smiled affably.

“How much is that one?”

“7 million won. As you can see, it’s practically brand new.”

He left it at that, lingering on the words.

It wasn’t funny at all. He was still confidently selling the Porter truck he had sold to the man for 7 million won a year and a half ago at the same price.

“Miss Lee, turn on the air conditioner. It’s too hot.”

He shouted magnanimously, and the employee’s face lit up. The employee picked up the remote control and stretched her arm towards the wall-mounted air conditioner. Then, the vent cover that had been closed slowly began to open.

“This is an office made of containers, so it’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter.”

Kim Byung-chan, who was sweating profusely even though he was just standing there, pulled out a tissue and wiped his sweat.

“I’m not going to take the full 7 million won. Let’s see.”

He took out a file from the employee’s desk and brought it over.

“You’ll be getting a loan too, right?”

He asked as if it were obvious.

A loan? He clearly said loan, not installment. Tae-heun didn’t affirm or deny it, just vaguely mumbled. Kim Byung-chan, taking that reaction as a yes, placed several documents on the table.

“So, how much… I’m a little short on money.”

Tae-heun scratched his head and trailed off. Kim Byung-chan laughed heartily and said, “Don’t worry about a thing.”

“Originally, the discount rate is determined by the loan amount. The more you borrow, the higher the discount rate. But since you came through Dae-ho’s introduction, I’ll give you a better deal than the regulations allow.”

He said, handing over a document labeled “Loan Information” from among the papers on the table. He pushed the car sales contract to one side. Tae-heun was about to read the information when a thick hand covered it. Tae-heun’s hand, which had been reaching for the paper, hovered in the air. Kim Byung-chan’s gaze lingered on Tae-heun’s hand for a moment before disappearing.

“Oh my, you’ve hurt your hand. Farming is a lot tougher than I thought.”

Kim Byung-chan consoled him, looking at the hand that had been injured from hitting the Eagle Five Brothers and self-harming. Tae-heun smiled awkwardly and looked down at his wounded hand. It was a rough, ugly hand, the only thing he had inherited from his Mother, the hand of someone who did hard labor. Kim Byung-chan probably saw it as a farmer’s hand. He laughed inwardly, thinking he had benefited from his Mother.

“Did your daughter do that for you?”

He gestured with his eyes towards Tae-heun’s ring and pinky fingers, which were dyed with henna.

“Ah, yes. My daughter insisted so much.”

“Oh, she’s so adorable. I only have three dark-skinned sons, so I’ve never experienced anything like that.”

He said with genuine envy.

“She applied it so meticulously.”

He said, smiling. Then, he changed his expression in an instant.

“So, how much are you going to borrow? 30 million won, 40 million won? Originally, people like you can’t even get 10 million won, as you know if you’ve been to the Nonghyup. You’ve already taken out loans using your house deed and farmland as collateral, right?”

He wore a knowing smile, as if he knew all about their circumstances. Judging by how he knew the inside story of the neighborhood, the man wasn’t the only customer from Dongjam Village.

“While you’re at it, borrow enough for the kids. Buy your daughter and wife some pretty clothes while you’re at it.”

Kim Byung-chan, adding advice, rattled off the interest rate, the late payment rate, how many months of late payment were possible, and what other ways there were to repay the loan if it was difficult to pay.

It was a world Tae-heun knew inside and out. Kim Byung-chan was following the operating methods of a small-scale private loan company. No wonder the condition of the cars was terrible for a used car dealership, and the location was too remote.

“So, have you decided?”

Kim Byung-chan asked, bringing his face right up to Tae-heun’s.

“Well, 30 million won… or 50 million won might be a bit much…?”

“Oh my, 50 million won is a bit difficult. But it’s not like there’s absolutely no way, but it’s a bit high.”

He made a circle with his thumb and index finger and added with his lips, “Interest.”

“It’s like jumping from the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors to the 10th floor all of a sudden. Do you know what I mean? Are you still okay with it?”

“Ah, is that so? Then 20 million won. No, 30 million won…”

Tae-heun deliberately scratched his head roughly. Then, white powder that looked like dandruff fell from his hair. Kim Byung-chan’s face contorted, and he quickly moved away from Tae-heun. Then, he looked around to see if any dandruff had landed on his black T-shirt.

A moment of silence passed. Kim Byung-chan couldn’t stand even that short time and urged Tae-heun. He was either impatient or desperate for the deal.

“If you just keep worrying like that, you won’t be able to borrow money. You must have been very desperate to come all the way here. Make a decision with your eyes closed with the mindset you had back then, right?”

“Yes. But I’m still worried because of my circumstances.”

He said that several times. Just as Kim Byung-chan’s patience was about to run out, Tae-heun said, “I’m sorry,” and stood up. Then, Kim Byung-chan grabbed Tae-heun.

“Are you just going to leave?”

As if he hadn’t expected him to stand up, he coaxed him, saying he would lower the loan interest a little more.

“It’s not the interest that’s the problem, it’s the amount. I’ll have to discuss it with my wife again.”

“Oh, what’s there to discuss? If the head of the household says so, that’s what it is.”

“Still. We’re paying back the money together.”

“Tsk. Well, that’s not wrong, but you came all this way, are you really just going to leave?”

Kim Byung-chan’s tone was getting rougher.

“I’ll discuss it properly with my wife and come back again soon.”

When Tae-heun continued to insist, Kim Byung-chan clicked his tongue.

“If that’s what you want, there’s nothing I can do.”

“I’m sorry for the trouble.”

He nodded. Seeing the expression on his face as if he would never come back, Kim Byung-chan forced a friendly smile. His face contorted in the process, making it look like he was angry.

“Oh my, it’s no trouble at all. Everyone’s like that at first. As you heard from Dae-ho, I operate really transparently. I’ve never seen a customer who borrowed money from me complain. So trust me and feel free to contact me anytime.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Here, take this.”

He said, handing over another business card. It was different from the one he had received earlier. The company name had also changed from “Hanju Best Used Cars” to “Hanju Best Errand Center.”

“This is my personal number, and I’m giving it to you specially because you’re Dae-ho’s customer. Go home and discuss it with your Pastor’s wife, and contact me as soon as you make a decision. You can call me 24 hours a day, day or night.”

He made sure to hold the business card tightly in his hand and even bowed his head. Tae-heun also bent over so far that his head almost touched his, and he grabbed his hand with both hands. He could feel Kim Byung-chan’s burn scar on his palm.

Receiving the excessive farewell from the former detective who was eager to get his hands on him, Tae-heun walked towards the bus stop. As soon as Kim Byung-chan was out of sight, his legs gave way. He squatted down and lit a cigarette.

He had come to chase Man’s traces, but the man was nowhere to be found, and his past had followed him.

He felt strange. He also felt empty.

He began to think that the man might be an illusion like himself.

Yoon Ki-beom.

Who are you?

He exhaled the smoke.