52.
How long had he slept? When he woke again, it was already daylight. Sunlight streamed brightly through the window, but Haseo still didn’t want to move. He curled up in bed and tried to go back to sleep.
‘It would be better if I never woke up again.’
He caught himself thinking this and was startled, immediately berating himself. He needed to protect his grandmother—what strange thoughts was he having? Haseo clutched his head in self-reproach, then decided to get out of bed. Perhaps these thoughts were coming because he was lying there so helplessly.
‘I need to do something.’
Haseo decided to examine the room more carefully. But there wasn’t anything particularly unusual. The wardrobe contained various clothes sorted by size, and the drawers contained things needed for sex, like lubricant and condoms. He also found some medications, but not knowing their purpose, he put them back.
They might be ordinary cold medicine, but they might not be. After all, this building was owned by gangsters. He checked the other rooms in the same way and went downstairs to the first floor. Someone must have visited overnight, as there were new groceries placed by the entrance.
Prepared vegetables, meat, bread. There were also several ready-made food products. All of them only needed heating to be eaten. He wondered why, but when he saw the kitchen, it became clear. There were no knives among the cooking utensils. He wasn’t sure if they were never there or had been removed. But at least whoever brought the groceries knew there were no knives here.
Haseo selected one of the ready-made meals and heated it in the microwave. It was a cheese pasta that tasted decent enough, but he had no appetite and could only manage one bite. Even though he knew he should conserve his strength, he felt like he might vomit if he ate more. So he ended up throwing away the rest.
After that, there was nothing to do. Haseo sat blankly in front of the unlit fireplace, passing time in a daze. Even if he wanted to actively do something, there were too many watchful eyes here. So all he could do was think. How could he improve this situation? But no matter how much he thought, he couldn’t see a way out.
‘When will Choi Mujin return?’
He organized what he would say when Mujin came back. He needed to persuade him to move forward. But even after several days, Choi Mujin didn’t return. Groceries were replenished every three days. When the second batch of groceries arrived, Haseo’s belongings were delivered with them.
However, the frame containing his grandmother’s photo had been replaced with a different one. He wondered why, then realized they must have disliked the glass frame. Come to think of it, the dishes and other items here—nothing breakable was in sight. In a house like this, you’d expect at least one ceramic or glass decoration.
To Haseo, this place felt like a giant animal cage. Safety and meals were guaranteed, but there were no human rights inside.
‘I feel like I’ve become an animal.’
An animal trapped in a cage.
Choi Mujin had been observing Haseo patiently for several days. On the first day, he was listless and sprawled out, but from the second day, he began looking around. That wasn’t bad. It was important to understand reality. Throughout his life, Mujin had persuaded countless people. But that had always been accompanied by violence and threats.
Like with Seo Jaewoo, he didn’t know how to completely persuade someone who rejected him. Even if he knew, he wasn’t confident he could do it.
So Mujin thought: Why should I be the one to change? Wouldn’t it be faster for the other person to adapt? Unlike Seo Jaewoo, who grew up loved and with an easy life, Haseo knew the hardships of living in this world. Knowing that being stiff like bamboo would eventually lead to breaking, at some point he would naturally learn to bend.
He had failed to obtain Seo Jaewoo, but it might be possible with Haseo. Although Haseo would resent and dislike him—but was there anyone who could actually like Mujin anyway? Mujin was skeptical about the emotion called love. That’s also why he hadn’t clearly defined the feelings he had for Haseo. He felt that if he defined and acknowledged it, something inside him would change.
‘I’m still immature.’
He didn’t want to change. So the only option was to make the other side adjust. That’s what Mujin thought as he watched Haseo sitting blankly on the screen.
‘But he looks so bored.’
Maybe he should give him something to play with. But Mujin didn’t know what Haseo liked. So he decided to seek help from Kim Chunbong. Among the people he knew, Chunbong was the only one who properly enjoyed hobbies.
Park Dongsu wasn’t without hobbies, but they were mostly related to exercise, which would be difficult for Haseo to do.
— “Ah, hobbies? If he’s in his early 20s, you mean Lee Haseo. Let’s see. Usually, young people that age like games.”
“Games?”
— “Let me think. Mobile games are common, but those wouldn’t be safe. How about a gaming console?”
“Gaming console?”
— “There’s a popular gaming console that young people play with these days. Don’t you know about it?”
“Forget it, just pick out some games and send them over.”
— “I’ll prepare them quickly. But is it okay to give him a gaming console? Aren’t you still in the process of taming him?”
Kim Chunbong had accurately pinpointed what Mujin was thinking.
“That much is fine.”
When people sink too low, they have dangerous thoughts. In that case, it was better to provide something to distract them appropriately.
— “Understood.”
“By the way, how is Jeong Heejun doing?”
— “This is surprising. He looks like a bookworm, so I thought he wouldn’t adapt, but he seems to be doing the work quite well. He doesn’t seem to have fought with others before, but he uses his body well and learns quickly.”
“Don’t get excited and put him in dangerous situations.”
— “Oh no, I won’t do that. But at this rate, it won’t take a month, maybe just two weeks to finish teaching him. I’m thinking of moving him to another branch after that.”
Kim Chunbong seemed to be enjoying teaching Jeong Heejun, who was adapting faster than expected. He was planning a more intense schedule even though the person in question might not want it.
“Kim Chunbong. You haven’t forgotten what I just said, right?”
— “Of course not! When have I ever disobeyed you, boss? I’ll use him just enough to satisfy Chairman Jang and then send him up.”
“Good.”
Mujin had thought Jeong Heejun wasn’t the same type as himself. Based on what people around him said, he seemed like a straight-laced young man. But it seemed he harbored different feelings inside. As Mujin thought this far, he recalled what Heejun had said at the end.
‘He said he knew Haseo.’
Hopefully, he wouldn’t cause trouble going forward. Mujin wasn’t sure if Jeong Heejun would just go along with things. He was truly an irritating fellow, but Mujin couldn’t touch him. If he mentioned it to Kim Chunbong, he would take care of it somehow, but that might cause Chairman Jang to fly into a rage.
‘It’s not the time yet.’
Mujin decided to tolerate Jeong Heejun for now.
* * *
The third delivery of groceries arrived. But this time, there was something else mixed in besides food. Several sets of clothes that would fit Haseo’s body, and a gaming console. The console, about the size of two palms put together, came with several game packages.
‘Is he telling me to play games?’
Haseo couldn’t understand Choi Mujin’s intentions. After hesitating briefly, he turned on the console. He had never owned a gaming console before, but he had occasionally seen friends playing. Besides, it wasn’t difficult to use.
He entered the first saved game. It seemed to be about decorating an island you’ve moved to and making friends with neighbors. After creating a character and entering the island, a strange-looking raccoon welcomed Haseo.
[Welcome-coon!]
And then introduced him to a small, shabby house.
‘Well, it’s not a bad house for living alone.’
Still, there was a loan attached to it, so he decided to pay that off first. He caught insects, picked fruit, and went fishing, pouring all the money he earned into paying off the loan. After a few hours, he paid off the first loan. Why the first? Because as soon as he paid it off, the raccoon appeared and forcibly expanded his house.
‘Another loan appeared?’
Haseo diligently paid off this loan too. But that only led to yet another loan. By this point, he was becoming stubborn about it. Haseo held onto the gaming console all day long. Only when it was time for a meal did he belatedly come to his senses.
Gaming addiction. He had only heard about it before. But here was a new addict. Haseo put down the console with a shudder. This didn’t seem like something he should continue. It was fun, but this wasn’t the situation to be focusing on such things.
And so Haseo sealed away the gaming console Mujin had sent. The next day, instead of groceries, something else arrived. It was tools for drawing. But Haseo had never been interested in drawing, so he left them unused. More than anything, he wanted to meet Choi Mujin soon, so he called Park Dongsu.
— “Hello? If you need anything, please let me know.”
“Hello. When will Mr. Choi Mujin be visiting?”
— “He will visit soon.”
“May I ask when exactly?”
— “I don’t know precisely either. I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s fine.”
Haseo nibbled on his lip, then brought up what he had wanted to ask more about.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
