“I’m just telling you what I overheard, so I’m not entirely sure, but it’s been bothering me. It seems Director Park and that employee reached some kind of agreement. That bastard Director Park suddenly showed up making a fuss, claiming the whole thing was a misunderstanding and that he almost went to prison for nothing. But do people believe him? Not after everything we’ve seen and heard. So the response wasn’t good. I guess he realized it wasn’t working, because then he started saying there was someone slandering him and he needed to deal with them properly – and that’s when he brought up your name, Yeonwoo.”
Director Park was someone Lee Yeonwoo didn’t even want to think about anymore.
He couldn’t understand why his name was being mentioned at all. Yeonwoo, who had been quiet until then, barely managed to ask, “Why?”
“He probably thinks the atmosphere won’t improve unless he finds someone innocent to blame. I don’t believe it, but there were a lot of rumors when you quit your job. Saying you were a gold digger, that you were involved in compensated dating and such. Of course, I don’t believe any of it. But right now, people here are talking as if it’s all true. That trash Director Park is counting on that.”
What flashed through Yeonwoo’s mind were photos of him getting into Munbeom’s or his secretary’s car. He had wondered who would take such photos – could it have been Director Park?
“He’s saying the weird rumors about him started because you were flirting with him, that you created that atmosphere and encouraged that kind of behavior while pretending you didn’t… Ugh. He must be truly insane. Would a married man with children even want to do such things? But what’s driving me crazy is that people are actually buying it. Everyone’s talking about it. And now they’re saying that when that employee filed the sexual harassment complaint, it was because you instigated it from behind the scenes…”
Unable to just listen anymore, Yeonwoo shook his head and said, “That’s not true.” Though she said she believed him, she still looked worried.
“He’s just picking on someone vulnerable to shut everyone up. Not everyone is caught up in this atmosphere though. There are people like me, but we’re so few. I couldn’t stay quiet because Director Park might actually do something. Did I scare you unnecessarily?”
For her, it would be better to keep quiet about these things. If she spoke up, she might get blamed too. Knowing that she was only telling him this out of concern, Yeonwoo managed to thank her and say he would contact her separately later.
After ending the call with this kind person who had worried about him until the end, Yeonwoo felt dazed. He didn’t even know how he’d managed to get on the bus to Seoul. When he saw his row house after climbing the uphill road, he suddenly felt his tension release and had to force strength into his legs.
He thought he should first go home, take a shower, and eat some ramen or something to clear his head. There hadn’t been any contact from the mart or Director Park’s side yet, so he could look into it separately…
But wait, how would he do that?
“Hey, you.”
“…”
Lost in his complicated thoughts, Yeonwoo flinched when someone suddenly called out from behind. Turning around, he saw a man smoking a cigarette between the buildings.
The man with flashy tattoos on both arms lived on the floor below Yeonwoo. They hadn’t crossed paths many times since he moved here, but the tattoos were so intense that he remembered him immediately.
They had never had a proper conversation before despite passing each other occasionally, so Yeonwoo didn’t understand why he was suddenly calling out. Regardless of his confusion, Yeonwoo gave a small bow.
“Hello…”
“Did you have someone scheduled to come to your place today?”
“What?”
“I saw this half-formed guy leaving your place around lunchtime…”
Yeonwoo looked at the man with a face that showed he had no idea what he was talking about. The man, wearing a serious expression, rubbed his forehead with his cigarette between his fingers.
“See, I came home after staying up all night and was trying to sleep when suddenly there was thumping from above. You’re usually so quiet that I didn’t even know who lived above me, but then there was this sudden hammering sound, which was strange. I thought maybe a friend came over, and I was going to say something, but then I heard something being thrown and someone falling…”
“…”
“Until then, I was just worried that something had happened. So even though I’m not usually the type to interfere, I went upstairs. I rang the bell and asked if everything was okay, and it immediately got quiet. It felt weird, and I started thinking all sorts of things…”
He thought about calling the police, but that seemed like overstepping and honestly, a bit troublesome. So he just knocked on the door with his fist and said, “I know you’re not alone in there, so please keep it down,” and came back downstairs. It was quiet after that, and he tried to get some sleep, but strangely couldn’t fall asleep.
Eventually, he gave up on sleeping and stared at the ceiling. It definitely seemed suspicious. If there was another thump, he’d go up again. They’d only passed each other occasionally, but the tenant seemed like a hardworking student trying to live decently. Then there was another thump followed by loud footsteps.
As if he’d been waiting for it, he jumped up and flung his door open, only to hear an unpleasant scream.
“It was like he was coming out just as I opened my door. He was about this tall with a half-formed face. I was going to grab him by the collar if he seemed to be running away with stolen goods, but his hands were empty. Since he might be an acquaintance of yours, I couldn’t really do anything…”
The man trailed off and checked Yeonwoo’s expression.
Yeonwoo, whose cheeks had turned pale as if he had a guess who it was, quietly asked, “You said it was around lunchtime?”
“A little before 1 PM, I think… Are you going to report it?”
The man asking this looked like he would really help if Yeonwoo decided to file a report. He had a slight prejudice against him because he often saw him smoking outside with his tattoos, but he seemed to be genuinely a good person. Meanwhile, Yeonwoo, who thought he knew who had encountered the man, shook his head.
“No. I think I know who it was. I’m sorry for disturbing you.”
“If you feel uncomfortable going up alone, just let me know. You can scream if you need to.”
He said he could hear everything anyway since they lived right above each other, and he could come up immediately. Yeonwoo shook his head once more. After saying no, it’s fine, and thanking him again, Yeonwoo climbed the stairs. The man watched him, scratching his head before putting the cigarette back in his mouth.
With each step up the stairs, Yeonwoo’s heart pounded.
There were a few people who might enter his home uninvited while he was away. Seo Miyoung had visited just the day before, and Lee Jonghoon also knew the passcode. Then there was the secretary who assisted him. Seongho had come to the neighborhood but didn’t seem to know the exact location of his home. But if someone was determined, finding out his address and passcode within a few days would be no trouble at all.
Standing in front of the entrance, Yeonwoo raised his hand. After entering the code and opening the door, he let out a sigh at the state of the living room.
“…That bastard.”
Ramen and simple plastic dishes that had been kept in the kitchen shelves were scattered all over the living room. After closing the door and entering, Yeonwoo took off his shoes and stood in the living room. He surveyed the completely open kitchen cabinets, the things strewn across the living room, and clothes thrown toward the hallway.
Yeonwoo’s eyes trembled briefly when he saw the clothes.
Going straight to the bedroom, he found the wardrobe wide open and drawers pulled out and scattered on the floor. The small room was filled with the mess. Jumping over the even more devastating scene than the living room, occasionally bumping into things, Yeonwoo knelt in front of the old wardrobe and looked underneath.
There was nothing there.
“…”
Though he could confirm visually that nothing was there, Yeonwoo urgently reached inside anyway. He felt around the floor and looked outside again. It was gone. Both the envelope and the three checks he had placed inside.
It took time for him to accept that whoever had entered his home and caused this chaos had taken the checks he received from Munbeom.
Trying to stand up, Yeonwoo’s legs gave out, and he sat back down.
Should he report it first? But where should he report it? Should he tell Ho Munbeom? Then, muttering “the contract,” Yeonwoo removed the bag that had been pulling him backward and stood up.
Going to the bathroom opposite the room, he found it was also a mess. A neatly folded towel that he had washed was in the toilet. Seeing this, Yeonwoo closed the lid, stepped on it, and stood up. He pushed open the inspection hatch, moved it aside, and reached inside. As his fingertips touched something, he grabbed it – a thin document envelope wrapped in plastic.
“…Thank goodness.”
It was fortunate he had put it here. He remembered his father keeping house documents here before, so he did the same, and he was really glad he had.
The one thing he absolutely didn’t want Seongho or those people to find was now safely in his possession.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
