Da Haram, who had been picking out the abalone with his spoon, began eating the pieces he’d pushed to the edge of the bowl one by one. The unfamiliar texture triggered a slight gag reflex in his throat, but it was bearable.
“You don’t have to force yourself to eat it.”
“I want to try it.”
He flashed a small smile at Tae-yi, who was watching him with concern. Tae-yi, returning the smile, checked his wristwatch before standing up.
“I’ll be back soon. We should be able to have lunch together. Just rest for a bit.”
“I’m going out too.”
“You are?”
Da Haram nodded, looking up at the surprised Tae-yi. The reaction only made Tae-yi look even more taken aback.
“Why? What for?”
“Just to walk around… get a feel for the place.”
Tae-yi couldn’t make sense of it. Da Haram, who hated people and disliked unfamiliar places, suddenly wanted to go out on his own? Above all, the thought of him going out alone didn’t sit well. With Kang Tae-jin sharpening his claws over the resort project, there was no telling what he might do next.
“You don’t want to wait and go walking together later?”
“I want to try it on my own.”
The fact that he was talking about a neighborhood stroll like it was some grand undertaking felt ridiculous—even to himself. But he had made up his mind to start tackling his fears, one at a time.
Seeing the resolute look on Haram’s face, Tae-yi let out a sigh and relented.
“Be careful out there.”
As Tae-yi’s hand gently stroked his cheek, Haram leaned into the touch and nodded.
***
“You’re sure he didn’t say anything to Da In-ho?”
“Well, people can’t understand him unless they speak his language… but I don’t think anything major was said. Is something wrong?”
Chief Yoon shot a sideways glance at Kang Tae-yi, who was seated in the back. But Tae-yi just sat there blankly, staring out the window.
“What do we do about the debtor? If we keep him in the basement, Mr. Da Haram might find out.”
“I can’t think of a single use for him.”
Killing that bastard wouldn’t hurt Kang Tae-jin in the slightest. Tae-yi, lost in thought for a while, finally opened his mouth.
“Is it possible to restore Da Haram’s peanut field? Maybe replant it with new seedlings?”
There were less than two weeks left to keep Haram by his side. It wasn’t nearly enough time to take Kang Tae-jin down completely. But if he tried to drag it out longer, even someone as naïve as Da Haram would start getting suspicious. And once suspicion took hold, there’d be no stopping it.
Since the field had been ruined by the debtor, he could just order that bastard to replant the peanuts. It seemed like a simple manual task, something that could be wrapped up easily.
But the response Tae-yi got was firm.
“That’s not possible.”
Hearing the tone, like there was a clear reason behind it, Tae-yi asked why. Chief Yoon pulled over to the side of the road and turned his head to explain in detail.
“The whole village saw the state of the peanut field. It’s not something we can hush up.”
“Then send them all on a group trip or something.”
Tae-yi, as if it were no big deal, pulled out his tablet and began working. But Chief Yoon shook his head and continued.
“That won’t work either.”
Another firm reply. Tae-yi shot him an annoyed look, but Chief Yoon didn’t flinch. And then, in a rare show of confidence, he pressed on.
“There are a lot of problems. First off, we don’t even know what kind of peanuts Mr. Da Haram planted. And I doubt we could find seedlings that are ready to be harvested this late in the season.”
Peanuts come in types? They’d bought seedlings for the cherry tomatoes too, so why was this different?
Accepting that this was a subject he knew nothing about, Tae-yi tossed his tablet aside and fixed Chief Yoon with a long stare. Chief Yoon, now riding high on what felt like newfound trust, continued speaking with growing confidence.
“Fall is just around the corner. That means it’s harvest season in the countryside. No one’s going to go off on a vacation. When I went down last time, I checked their schedule—turns out everyone in the village is starting with harvesting perilla seeds from Ms. Nam Bok-rye’s farm. You know, the land-rich grandma.”
“…Harvest what?”
“Perilla seeds. Uh, perilla… Let me explain what that is—”
Chief Yoon started gesturing with his hands, launching into a detailed explanation of perilla plants, while Tae-yi stared at him in disbelief. How the hell did he get so knowledgeable about farming? It was like he was about to quit everything and go start a farm himself. If Professor Yoon ever saw how his youngest son had changed, he’d probably grab him by the scruff of the neck.
As Tae-yi pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes, Chief Yoon finally shut up and returned to the wheel. The car eventually rolled into the underground parking garage in silence. As they arrived, Tae-yi adjusted his suit and gave another order.
“Send our people to block any contact with Kang Tae-jin. And make sure that grandma with all the land is well protected.”
“Yes, sir. And the debtor?”
“Move him somewhere else before dawn.”
Tae-yi stepped out of the car and entered the VIP elevator. When the doors opened, the blindingly white walls inside made him frown. The space where Chairman Kang was confined couldn’t have been more ill-suited to the man.
The hospital room was the same. A man who’d spent his whole life with blood on his hands—lying alone in a pristine white hospital bed just because he had money—it was laughable.
Tae-yi sat silently at the bedside for a long while. Once he felt he’d put in enough time, he stood up and looked down at the old man lying there like a corpse, and let out a small laugh.
“Kang Tae-jin won’t get to sit in that chairman’s seat. And neither will I.”
His quiet voice echoed through the wide hospital room. With that, Tae-yi turned and walked out without a trace of hesitation.
***
“That wasn’t so bad.”
Despite muttering to himself, Haram tugged his white t-shirt lower to cover as much of his tail as possible. Tae-yi’s neighborhood didn’t look anything like the rural town he’d grown up in, but it was just as quiet. The houses, each surrounded by high walls, were massive, flaunting their grandeur—but not a single person was in sight.
Haram curled his silver-gray tail into a tight spiral as he walked. When he saw a couple approaching from the opposite direction, his shoulders gave a startled twitch. They glanced briefly at his tail, but then continued on their way.
Once they passed, Haram perked up his ears and focused on their conversation. But, to his relief, they weren’t talking about him at all.
When no one paid him any mind, Haram began to feel braver. He let a little more of his tail show from beneath the lowered hem of his shirt and started wandering through the quiet residential streets.
Every time someone appeared, the pounding of his heart echoed in his ears and sweat pooled in his palms, but he didn’t run. He kept walking. He tried his best to stay calm and act confident.
He wandered around like that for quite some time, until suddenly he felt a presence behind him. He whipped around in alarm—but no one was there.
“…Weird.”
Tilting his head, Haram turned back toward Tae-yi’s house. On the way, he ran into a few more people, but the stares were bearable. One even gave him a nod in greeting.
Flustered, Haram awkwardly nodded back. Still, it meant he’d exchanged greetings with someone from Tae-yi’s neighborhood. That alone was a new experience.
His steps felt lighter than when he’d left. His heart, too.
He entered the passcode Tae-yi had given him and stepped into the house, letting out a deep breath of relief. Whether it was the summer heat or nerves, his t-shirt was drenched in sweat.
But instead of feeling gross, he felt refreshed. Like something that had been tightly sealed by fear had cracked open just a little. The thought of telling Tae-yi about everything that happened made him smile without even realizing it.
With a bunny-like bounce in his step, Haram headed for the bathroom.
“Mr. Da Haram just returned home. Walked around the neighborhood, even exchanged a few greetings with the locals.”
As soon as Chief Yoon ended the call, he turned to report to Tae-yi, who was sitting in the back seat. Tae-yi, silently listening, set down his tablet and turned to look out the window.
So he really just wanted to take a walk? It was unexpected—but not unwelcome. It was almost like Da Haram had gone out and done some social training on his own. The thought made him laugh. A mix of emotions—pride and pity—rose up and burst out as a smile.
Noticing the laughter, Chief Yoon glanced at his boss through the rearview mirror and swallowed dryly. He didn’t want to ruin the moment, but it had to be said. Bracing himself, he spoke up.
“Vice Chairman Kang Tae-jin is requesting a meeting. He says to come to the company.”
Tae-yi, wiping the smile off his face like it had never been there, looked down at his watch in silence. He had plenty to settle with Kang Tae-jin, but the time he’d promised Da Haram was quickly approaching. If he went to the company now, it would be well past lunchtime by the time he returned.
After a brief pause, Tae-yi let out a short sigh and responded.
“Let’s go to the office. And give Da Haram his phone.”
