#56
“That… That is…”
Yeoul stammered with a voice full of sorrow. He felt like he had reached a cliff and would fall at any moment. But this pitiful feeling was brief. Eun Sajun’s shoulder came into his view. Although the bandage was hidden by his clothes, he was still undergoing treatment.
What if he got hurt again while dealing with Shin Taeon?
He became anxious. He couldn’t let him get hurt again. Eventually, Yeoul decided to keep quiet. He bit his lips tightly then opened them.
“No… It’s nothing…”
“Yes?”
“I just received a call that my younger brother who’s hospitalized is in bad condition.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes…”
Yeoul, who couldn’t think of any other excuse, eventually had to finish with the story about his younger brother.
“Then let’s go see your younger brother.”
“Yes?”
Yeoul’s eyes widened at his unexpected permission.
“How can I just sit still when you’re this worried?”
“Ah…”
In other words, it was also an opportunity to go out. But he would want to accompany him. Also, he didn’t know which hospital Yeojin was currently hospitalized in, and even if he knew, he couldn’t bring Eun Sajun into Shin Taeon’s space. It was another worry upon worry. Yeoul’s pupils shook violently.
“Don’t worry. Go alone.”
“Uh… Really?”
“Yes.”
“Are you really okay with that?”
“Of course. And I have a lot of work tomorrow. So I can’t help it.”
“Ah. Thank you.”
Somehow he had obtained an opportunity to meet Shin Taeon. He had cried well. It would have been difficult otherwise.
“Th… Thank you.”
“But it’s late today, so go tomorrow.”
“Yes… I understand.”
Yeoul felt relieved.
* * *
“What? What brings you here?”
Yeojin, who was smoking heavily, frowned sharply.
“Is this a hospital room? Or a raccoon’s den?”
Shin Taeon looked around the hospital room where Yeojin was staying with an incredulous expression. But Yeojin didn’t care and kept smoking.
“Shut up and tell me why you came.”
“It seems like Geum Yeoul ran away.”
“What? Ran away?”
Yeojin’s mouth fell open. That was brief – his lips curved up smugly and he became arrogant.
“There’s no way he’d do that, leaving me behind.”
“You’re confident?”
“Of course. Yeoul has been devoted to me since childhood. The fact that he’s in the viper’s den right now is because of me, isn’t it?”
Yeojin was very confident. Shin Taeon showed mockery toward such Yeojin and sat on a chair.
“I expected that naive fool wouldn’t be able to do it, but I never imagined he’d come out like this.”
At Shin Taeon’s words, Yeojin only contorted his face but didn’t add anything more.
“He even moved from the hospital where he was staying. What is this? Did he lay groundwork to run away?”
“What?”
Yeojin rolled his eyes around thinking, then opened his mouth.
“Didn’t Eun Sajun suggest moving?”
“What, Eun Sajun?”
“I mean, didn’t Geum Yeoul tell Eun Sajun about the debt relationship he has with you?”
“Ha.”
Shin Taeon’s face hardened instantly. Then he threw his cigarette on the floor and stomped on it with his shoe.
“Then I’ll really kill them all.”
Soon he put his hand inside his jacket and pulled out a military knife.
“Hic.”
Yeojin was startled and raised both hands.
“No… I just said it was possible… Why are you so furious?”
“Fuck! You’re making me worry by saying that!”
Shin Taeon’s shouting voice seemed to have sharp weapons breathing in it.
“But Geum Yeoul knows your personality well too. He wouldn’t really do that…”
Yeojin tried to calm Shin Taeon down, but Shin Taeon’s excitement didn’t stop. Soon he stabbed the knife into the bed. At that violent action, Yeojin froze like a wax figure.
“I guess I’ll have to look around the hospital area tomorrow.”
“Yeah, do that…”
Yeojin answered with a sigh mixed in. Shin Taeon gritted his teeth and eventually left the hospital room. At the same time, Yeojin smirked.
“Stupid bastard. Acting like he knows nothing about Geum Yeoul.”
* * *
The next day came.
As compensation for Yeoul’s crying and wailing yesterday, Yeoul left the hospital room alone.
First, to contact Shin Taeon, he approached the payphone again. He put in coins and hurriedly dialed his number. The connection tone continued for a moment.
[Geum Yeoul?]
“It’s me.”
[You! Fuck, where are you? Did you run away?]
“I didn’t run away… There were circumstances. I wasn’t feeling well.”
[Ha, let’s meet now. Where are you now? I’ll come find you.]
“I’ll go to that cafe you mentioned yesterday.”
[If you really run away this time, I won’t let it slide.]
Yeoul’s pupils had cooled coldly. There wasn’t a trace of fear or tension toward Shin Taeon remaining.
“Don’t worry. That won’t happen.”
[Got it. Let’s meet in 30 minutes.]
After making the announcement, he hung up first. Yeoul also put down the receiver.
He changed into casual clothes and left the hospital. His heart was pounding. His blood boiled coldly. First, Yeoul checked his wallet in his pocket. And looking around, he entered a large mart.
Inside was packed with crowds. Among the people filling the place, where Yeoul was heading was the corner with kitchen supplies. With fierce eyes flashing, he scanned the tools placed there. Among various items like bowls, cups, measuring spoons, what caught Yeoul’s attention was that sharp thing. It was the moment Yeoul was about to grab it.
Bang!
With a loud noise, vibrations shook the entire mart. Startled, Yeoul’s eyes widened.
“What is it?”
People rushed there in droves. Yeoul was the same. There was a truck that had crashed into the entrance. It was chaotic because of that.
“What’s that all of a sudden?”
“I don’t know, drunk driving?”
Everyone’s voices were confused. Yeoul also fixed his gaze on the truck’s driver’s seat. The man seemed really drunk or had no strength in his body. The mart was chaos itself and normal business seemed overwhelming. Fortunately, the truck was small and had crashed into where products were displayed, so there were no casualties.
“Ah.”
He needed to buy something and leave, but his plan went awry. Yeoul broke out in cold sweat and slipped out of the mart.
It seemed like he’d have to go somewhere else…
“What time is it now?”
Yeoul quickly looked around. Coincidentally, the current time was visible on the electronic display attached to the shopping mall building. The time to meet Shin Taeon was approaching.
“Hic.”
It wasn’t a situation to visit anywhere else.
“Can’t be helped. There should be other tools anyway.”
Yeoul muttered like he had entered a cave, then headed to the cafe where he was supposed to meet Shin Taeon.
* * *
This cafe was also in a secluded alley. But since the exterior was all windows, it didn’t feel closed off. And this time, whether he couldn’t bribe the owner, customers could be seen here and there. So he thought it was a bit troublesome, but situations could change at any time.
After ordering a drink, he sat down. Honestly, even water wouldn’t go down his throat right now, but he had no choice. Soon 30 minutes passed and it was the appointed time.
Yeoul looked out the window like someone with obsessive-compulsive disorder. It was a position with a good view of the parking lot, so he could see a sedan smoothly entering. Was it Shin Taeon? Yeoul showed aggression and clenched his fist. But what got out of the car was a middle-aged man he’d never seen before.
“I guess it wasn’t him.”
Yeoul waited again. Like that, 10 minutes, 20 minutes, until almost an hour passed, Shin Taeon didn’t appear.
“What…”
He had boldly said let’s meet, so why wasn’t he coming? He wondered if he had gotten the meeting place wrong, but the cafe he mentioned was definitely here.
He was confused as if a hammer had hit his head. He wanted to say let’s wait a little more and endured. But until he finished his ordered drink and received looks from the staff, he didn’t appear.
First, thinking he couldn’t stay any longer, he got up from his seat. And he went to the cafe counter and asked to borrow the phone. The staff member was obviously reluctant but handed over the phone. Yeoul dialed Shin Taeon’s number.
[The number you have dialed is not in service…]
“Why is this happening…?”
Yeoul’s heart sank even deeper. He had definitely talked to him just a while ago, so why was it saying it wasn’t in service?
A chilling feeling flowed down his spine. At that moment, he heard the sound of a door opening.
“Huh? Why is baby here?”
Right now, at this moment, the person he absolutely shouldn’t encounter appeared before his eyes. It was Eun Sajun. Yeoul felt his mouth go completely dry and froze in place.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
