49.
When would he see his grandmother again if he returned now? There was fear in the emotions that suddenly washed over him like a wave.
‘I actually know.’
While desperately hoping his grandmother would wake up again, he knew how low the probability was. His grandmother had undergone surgery with her weakened body and hadn’t regained consciousness since. The doctor had suggested to Haseo, who was always struggling with hospital bills, that it might be better to let her go. He had been angry at the time, but he knew those words were meant for his own good.
‘But still.’
How could he let go of his grandmother, the only person in this world who had ever loved him?
‘I can’t do it.’
Haseo looked at his grandmother with reddened eyes.
“Grandmother.”
Even knowing there would be no answer, Haseo continued speaking.
“Grandmother, I’m hurting…”
For the first time, he showed weakness in front of his grandmother.
“It hurts so much. Won’t you wake up and pat me on the head, telling me I’ve done well?”
Despite speaking in a childish, whining voice, the hospital room remained silent. Haseo tried to hold back his tears by gritting his teeth, but eventually broke down crying.
“Hic.”
Though he had never cried in front of his grandmother, Haseo was actually quite tearful by nature. Especially after placing his grandmother here, the tears had become more frequent. There were good people in the world, but there were also many bad ones. A person with nothing to their name who was just average-looking and naive was bound to be taken advantage of. Haseo had experienced a lot of that at first.
As those experiences accumulated, Haseo gradually changed. Even if his grandmother opened her eyes, she might find it difficult to recognize her once-lovable grandson. After crying his heart out for a long time, Haseo got up from his seat.
“Next time, I’ll come again next time. I’m fine, so…”
Please rest well, Grandmother. With those words, Haseo left the hospital room. His footsteps felt incredibly heavy as he turned away. It felt like he had heavy shackles around his ankles. Still, he couldn’t risk breaking his promise with Choi Mujin and facing the consequences. Haseo wiped his tears with his sleeve and retraced his steps.
“Mom, that person is crying.”
“Shh!”
The tears that flowed down simply wouldn’t stop. Haseo cried the entire way. Some people looked away when they saw him, while others asked if he was okay.
“I’m fine. Really, I’m fine.”
Saying this, Haseo arrived back at Choi Mujin’s officetel. The security guard must have briefly left his post again. With no one watching, he could easily enter. He could take the elevator this time, but Haseo chose to climb the stairs.
He thought that if his body was tired, his heart might hurt less. By the time he reached the fifth floor, his tears had somewhat subsided. He planned to wash his face with cold water when he got inside to reduce the swelling. With this in mind, he stood in front of the door and entered the password. Choi Mujin hadn’t specifically taught it to him, but he had memorized it from watching when they entered and left.
‘What kind of password is 1234?’
It was the kind of password that made it easy for thieves. That’s why Haseo remembered it so well.
Beep, beep.
As the door lock released, Haseo carefully opened the door. He quietly took off his shoes and stepped inside, only to see someone standing in the living room.
It was Choi Mujin.
The moment he saw him, a chill ran down his spine. He hurriedly checked the time, but it hadn’t been two hours since he left. He had said he would be late. It seemed the work had finished faster than expected. Choi Mujin, who had been looking outside, slowly turned to face Haseo. When their eyes met, fear rushed through Haseo, and he unconsciously lowered his head.
“Promise.”
At Choi Mujin’s word, Haseo licked his dry lips.
“I, I didn’t run away.”
Though he tried to speak as calmly as possible, he stammered. Taking a deep breath, Haseo continued.
“I just wanted to see my grandmother for a moment. I haven’t seen her since the last incident. I was worried something might have happened to her. So…”
Haseo clasped his hands tightly.
“Lee Haseo.”
When Choi Mujin called him by his full name, his body began to tremble slightly. His quiet, low voice seemed devoid of any emotion, which made it even more frightening.
“You broke your promise.”
There was much he wanted to say. But Haseo couldn’t utter a single word. As Choi Mujin approached him, a shadow fell over him.
“And I don’t like people who break promises.”
He needed to speak. If he remained silent, who knew what might happen to him. Haseo thought of his grandmother whom he had just visited, and he closed his eyes tightly before opening them again.
“I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.”
This time, he spoke clearly and distinctly, but it didn’t work on Choi Mujin.
“Won’t do it again? How can I trust someone who has already broken their promise?”
Choi Mujin behaved as if no words would get through to him. Haseo desperately racked his brain for what to say.
“Th-then what do you want me to do?”
“What do I want you to do?”
He slid his finger under Haseo’s lowered chin. Then, applying force, he lifted Haseo’s face up. When he faced Choi Mujin, the tears that he had tried so hard to stop burst forth.
“Won’t… won’t you let me go? I’ll somehow pay back the money I received. You can hit me if you want. I’ll endure anything.”
Lee Haseo likes Choi Mujin. It could even be called his first love. But this wasn’t a situation where he could simply be devoted to love. His grandmother was still in the hospital, and it was too dangerous to stay by Choi Mujin’s side. Haseo raised his folded hands and pleaded desperately.
“I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. Please let me go. Please? I want to see my grandmother.”
“Ah.”
Choi Mujin laughed coldly.
“You want to see your grandmother?”
“Yes, yes!”
“But Lee Haseo, you don’t even have money to pay for your grandmother’s hospital bills.”
The cruel truth pierced Haseo’s heart like a spear.
“The money you’ve been paying all this time came from me. Can you manage without me? What, are you going to spread your legs somewhere else and scam people again?”
Though it wasn’t wrong, it was too painful to hear from someone he liked. It felt as if blood was flowing from his torn heart. The funny thing was that even in this situation, he couldn’t deny it. If he escaped from Choi Mujin now, and all the money he had received turned into debt, could he handle it?
‘I can’t.’
Knowing this, Haseo still spoke empty words. They were words uttered to escape the moment because it was too painful. In that instant, he felt terrible about himself. Until the very end, Haseo couldn’t become a proper human being. That’s why he just stood there, tears streaming down his face.
“Lee Haseo, why can’t you say it’s not true?”
Because Choi Mujin’s words weren’t lies. The hand holding Haseo’s chin tightened. Though it was painful, Haseo tried hard not to scream.
“You can’t lie, you can’t do anything. Is your body the only useful thing about you? Then I’d better determine its purpose.”
What purpose? Haseo looked up at Choi Mujin with tear-blurred eyes.
“You said you’d pay back the money you took from me, right?”
“Y-yes.”
“Then let’s pay it back with your body. Let’s see. 500,000 won each time. How does that sound?”
For a moment, Haseo didn’t understand what Choi Mujin was saying.
“And that includes your grandmother’s future hospital bills.”
So Choi Mujin was telling Haseo to sell his body. He had always been rough around the edges, but he had never verbally abused Haseo. Yet now, he was treating Haseo as if he were worthless, as if he had become a different person.
“Th-then.”
That just makes me a male prostitute. As he was about to object, Choi Mujin covered Haseo’s mouth.
“Or do you have any other way? Lee Haseo. Just nod to what I’m saying. That’s the only thing you can do right now.”
Life had always seemed at its worst, but there was an even lower bottom. And Haseo was now facing that bottom.
“Let’s see. With interest included, how long will it take to pay it all back?”
With those final words, Haseo collapsed on the spot. Like a blown fuse, he could no longer maintain consciousness.
Perhaps that was for the better for the current Haseo.
Choi Mujin quickly caught Haseo’s collapsing body. Despite having been through so much in life, he seemed weak to this kind of situation. Well, the words had been harsh. Originally, he hadn’t intended to speak so severely. He carried Haseo to the bedroom and laid him on the bed.
Heaving a deep sigh, Choi Mujin first carefully examined Haseo’s body. He had fainted, but didn’t seem to have suffered any other injuries.
“Ha.”
This was ridiculous. Throughout his life, he had never known he could express such emotions.
Choi Mujin—he had noticed Haseo’s departure while discussing work after receiving Jeong Heejun’s transfer from Chairman Jang.
“What should I start with first?”
Jeong Heejun was quite an enthusiastic person.
“Do you even know what the job is about?”
At Choi Mujin’s words, Jeong Heejun shrugged with a composed expression.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
