“Mixing different types makes your hangover worse, you punk. I’m thinking of you and you’re still acting up.”
“Who asked you to think about me? I’ve already started drinking, so just give it back.”
“Do Jae-young.”
Jae-young, who had frowned, sharpened his gaze even more. Despite the defiant look in his eyes, he kept his lips tightly shut.
Although Jae-young always behaved disrespectfully, when Seung-kwon sternly called him by his full name, he knew to back down.
His protruding lips were full of discontent. However, Jae-young turned his head away without complaint. He just nervously picked at the nuts.
Ah, I bit into a raisin. So annoying. His face immediately crumpled as soon as he put it in his mouth.
“It’ll take some time to set up a new identity.”
Jae-young, with a sulky face as he chewed, rolled his eyes.
“You’re going to create a new one even though I’ve been exposed?”
“Isn’t it better to work on polishing your background for things that can be changed? Oppa, will you sell Jae-young new ID documents?”
“Yeah.”
Jae-young quietly watched Seung-kwon responding to Ju-yeon’s question. He tilted his heavy head significantly, leaning against the headrest. His eyelids felt heavy.
Is the alcohol already affecting me? Even knowing that wasn’t possible, he indulged in the frivolous thought.
“Do you think he’ll really investigate me?”
“He will. It’s better to proceed safely, even if it takes a little more time.”
The conversation between Ju-yeon and Seung-kwon continued one after another, but Jae-young lowered his eyes.
“…What about the wallet?”
Jae-young moved only his lips to produce a voice. This was the reason why he had been unable to calm his anger all along.
Why did I suddenly think of the hard candy? Why did my wallet suddenly fall?
Usually careless in many ways, he was serious when it came to work. Even if he couldn’t fully compensate for a mistake, he would usually deal with it quickly using his wit in the moment.
“Do Jae-young.”
Jae-young opened his closed eyes at the low voice. He rolled his eyes to the side to meet Seung-kwon’s gaze.
“Mistakes are okay when someone can cover for you. Keep doing what you’ve been doing, finding clever ways to get out of situations. Why is someone with your nerve worried about something like this?”
It wasn’t worry, it was irritation. What he had hoped would be beneficial had turned out to be a mistake. Now they would end up wasting unnecessary costs.
Being fearless and having nerve were advantages, but they sometimes became weaknesses.
If his quick-thinking mind hadn’t backed him up, it wouldn’t have even counted as an advantage. Jae-young shifted his gaze from Seung-kwon back to the ceiling.
No mistake should be tolerated. To survive in this field, one had to rigorously block any complacent mindset. It was what Seung-kwon habitually told him, even though he was now consoling Jae-young.
Seung-kwon himself was acting complacently, but he didn’t blame Jae-young because he knew the operation wouldn’t fall apart due to Jae-young’s mistake. After all, Jae-young had the verbal skill to deal with mistakes immediately.
Despite that trust, Jae-young’s mood remained sour. He stared at the fluorescent light without responding. The bright white light hurt his eyes, but he didn’t close them.
***
D-Day. Six hours before the scenario opening.
After inserting a capsule of coffee beans into the coffee machine, Jae-young pulled a shot into a cold cup filled with ice. With six hours still left until the operation began, there was enough time to indulge a little.
The ID should be arriving soon. Checking the time, Jae-young added milk and syrup in the appropriate ratio to the cold cup.
He inserted a stainless steel straw and sipped the latte. This was only the second thing he didn’t mind spending money on: alcohol and the coffee machine.
After stroking the precious machine once, Jae-young stretched his legs lazily.
His condition was at its best. He had slept well and his mind was clear. With his body feeling light, he had a feeling that the job would go smoothly too. He turned on music through a Bluetooth speaker and slowly loosened his neck.
The coffee tastes good, the music is good, the weather is good. While enjoying the leisure and stretching, he heard the sound of the door lock being unlocked.
“Ah, that hyung is really… I should change the password.”
To be precise, changing the door lock number wouldn’t make any difference. It was obvious that Seung-kwon would crack the password again soon, and it was clear that Seung-kwon would come and go as if it were his own house.
Jae-young raised his eyes from looking at the Han River and waited for Seung-kwon to walk in from the end of the corridor. Not long after, Seung-kwon appeared. Seeing that neat face, Jae-young tilted his head crookedly.
“Just live here already. I’m at the point where I’m confused whether this is our home or if I’m living in your house.”
Whether he couldn’t hear the complainant voice or was ignoring it, Seung-kwon walked over without any change in expression.
“Should I?”
And then all he said was “Should I?” Jae-young frowned as his irritation rose.
“Are you crazy? Ring the bell, the bell. Won’t I open the door for you?”
“The doorbell was broken.”
“Bullshit. It was working fine until the day before yesterday. Why would it suddenly break?”
Seung-kwon, who had somehow approached right in front of him, searched his jacket’s inner pocket. Jae-young, grumbling, raised his chin and lowered his eyes, waiting for whatever would come out of the inner pocket.
Unable to see clearly, his head kept tilting. His gaze traced the inside of the jacket. Soon, Jae-young’s new ID card and resident registration emerged from the inner pocket.
“Change it right away.”
“I was planning to anyway.”
Jae-young nodded casually as he snatched the ID and documents from Seung-kwon’s hand. He particularly examined the address printed on the ID.
“Is this my house?”
“Yes. From today, return to that address.”
“It hasn’t even been three months since I signed the lease here. Looks like I’ll be wasting money.”
He clicked his tongue as he slipped the ID into his wallet. After putting the wallet in his pocket, he looked up.
This was the last of his business with Seung-kwon today. Receive the ID, wish for smooth action ahead. End.
“And.”
“And what?”
However, as if he had been waiting for a brief opportunity after finishing everything he had to say, Seung-kwon spoke up. Jae-young looked at Seung-kwon’s face obediently.
“I have something to give you.”
“Are you going to give me something weird again?”
Jae-young couldn’t hide his wary gaze, concerned that Seung-kwon might give him a gift like a penis model. Just like before, Seung-kwon searched his inner jacket pocket and soon pulled something out. There was a rattling sound. It was a metal bracelet with a chain.
“What’s this? Why a bracelet all of a sudden?”
“GPS. I hope it doesn’t happen, but if something dangerous occurs, touch it. It has a sensor, so if you hold it for just 3 seconds, the listening device will activate.”
Seung-kwon put the bracelet on Jae-young’s right wrist. After staring at the bracelet intently, Jae-young looked back at Seung-kwon.
“When it’s dangerous?”
“Just in case. Like if he tries to have relations without your consent, or something, use it then.”
“Am I a child to just submit obediently? Do you feel guilty about me going to work alone? Is this waterproof? It’s annoying to take it off and put it back on every time I shower.”
Jae-young grumbled without malice. The design was simple enough that it would match any outfit.
“Jae-young.”
“What?”
“Be careful. Don’t rush in recklessly, take it slow.”
Seung-kwon always set a heavy atmosphere right before entering an operation.
It was like a cue sign. A signal that there wasn’t much time left before the action began.
Jae-young stared at Seung-kwon, who was lightly holding his wrist.
“Didn’t you say earlier we shouldn’t drag it out? Are you still worried about me?”
“It’s not that I don’t trust you.”
Is he anxious? Suddenly that thought occurred to him. What’s the point of being anxious now? It was Jae-young who first detected the danger and warned about its risk once.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
