Chapter 50
I stopped looking around and brightened up. Kim Doyun was sitting on the sofa, watching me. I was about to hurry over to him when I realized that Son Byung-chul and four men were staring at me. Son Byung-chul turned his head away, but the four men had persistent gazes, as if searching for flaws in me.
I pretended to be nonchalant and slowly sat down next to Kim Doyun. I felt a bit moved by the sensation of the soft cushion against my backside, wondering how long it had been since I’d experienced such comfort.
Kim Doyun didn’t care about the others’ stares. He smiled at me and briefly held my hand before letting go. I fidgeted with my fingers, embarrassed, when I heard men clearing their throats beside me. Glancing sideways, I saw their faces were deeply wrinkled with disapproval.
…At this point, it seemed useless to deny anything. Honestly, it wasn’t just me—Kim Doyun hadn’t even mentioned anything. I gave up, thinking they could believe whatever they wanted, and glared at the men. But Son Byung-chul… was just quietly watching us.
“Oh, I apologize. Sorry. I’ve been rather distracted today.”
Had we waited another ten minutes? A huge man slowly walked into the living room from the inside. He had droopy eyes, somewhat well-maintained hair, and an impressively thick belly. He seemed to smile habitually, as the wrinkles around his eyes folded naturally with his smile. Was he around fifty or sixty? He gently extended his hand toward me and greeted me.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t reveal my name due to circumstances. Call me whatever you like.”
“…Yes, I’m Kang Seongho.”
“Nice to meet you, Seongho. Though my greeting is late, welcome to this place. And you are…?”
“…Kim Doyun.”
A furrow appeared between Kim Doyun’s brows as he slowly opened his mouth. Since he rarely showed such a reaction to others except when meeting Jang Jae-gyeong, I found myself looking at him without realizing it. The person called “that person” seemed to brush it off… I anxiously examined Kim Doyun. He seemed to have suddenly become upset, though not as severely as with Jang Jae-gyeong. What was going on?
“I’m very pleased that more people have joined our village.”
The man laughed heartily while tapping his knees, then gestured to one of the men to bring drinks. One of the men standing bowed deeply and went into the kitchen. I barely managed to smooth out my face that had almost scrunched up in distaste. Tea, of all things. While others in the village were eating strange porridge, they were drinking tea here?
I didn’t want to understand Son Byung-chul, but I better understood why he spat whenever he mentioned “that person.” That person or whatever, the situation was disgustingly unfair.
“If you have any discomforts, tell people, and they’ll generally help you. But given the circumstances, please understand if not everything can be resolved. I have my own inconveniences, but they keep saying they need permission from the entire village and never actually give it.”
He chuckled loudly as if telling an amusing joke while patting his knees. The people who laughed along with the pig went back to their own business. Two who had been guarding the door returned to stand at the entrance, and one went outside for patrol, saying they should be careful as the sky was still cloudy. Son Byung-chul didn’t leave.
The man who had gone into the kitchen carefully set down small teacups that seemed mismatched with his bulky frame. The pig drank his tea casually, but I just held mine without bringing it to my lips. Honestly… thinking of the people outside, it felt wrong to enjoy this just for myself. I’m not sure if Kim Doyun had similar thoughts, but he didn’t drink either. Instead, he just stared at the table with a deep furrow between his brows after glancing once at the pig.
The pig started chattering about various things while drinking his tea. He talked about how this village came to be and what kind of people lived here. Then about what he had done in this village and what sacrifices had been made. He mentioned how sad it was that people couldn’t trust each other. He listed small incidents that had occurred in the village, his eyes welling up with tears, and let out a deep sigh. It was a decent performance—if I had met him without knowing he was a con man, I might have been completely taken in.
“My contributions to this village, though it’s somewhat awkward to say so myself, are quite numerous. Still, I can’t live as freely as I’d like. But what can I do? If giving up what’s mine makes others more comfortable, that’s how I should live.”
Looking at this house, it seemed like he hadn’t given up anything and was living exactly as he pleased. But I couldn’t say that out loud. Son Byung-chul was sitting with his hands clasped, silently listening. Though they were supposedly at odds, he didn’t contradict anything the pig said; his lips remained unmoved.
While I was wondering about this, the pig addressed Son Byung-chul.
“Son Byung-chul, what do you think?”
“It’s not possible. There are people who object.”
“You’re so rigid. If you just go ahead and do it, everyone will eventually follow along. Do you think I’m doing this just for my own benefit? That’s not it at all. You know that too.”
Object? Follow along? I couldn’t understand what they were talking about. Then I noticed Son Byung-chul clenching his fist tightly. I frowned in confusion, then suddenly remembered what Jang Jae-gyeong had said about that house. It might be my misconception, but it popped into my mind.
Surely not, it couldn’t be that. I heard a grinding sound from Son Byung-chul sitting beside me with his lips firmly shut. I could see the tension in his jaw. The man went on listing things that might persuade Son Byung-chul.
We need to think of others. Do you know how much food goes into three mouths? As members of the village, shouldn’t they do some work? Having three people just idling around isn’t good for the community, and so on.
When he mentioned “three people,” I realized my suspicion was correct. I tried to pretend I didn’t understand, but every time he opened his mouth, it felt like the stench of a sewer. There was a child who looked like an elementary student among them, yet he was talking about village members working and whatnot. As I was thinking I’d like to hold my nose and punch him just once, Son Byung-chul moved. He quietly gathered his shotgun, said he would think about it, and turned to me. His eyes, darkened under the candlelight, were strangely fierce.
“I’ll be going now.”
“Leaving already? Well, alright. Take care. Son Byung-chul, you should change your mind. We should first take care of those who are struggling. Most of the men agreed with me, so there’s no use in you holding out. I don’t want division in the village.”
“…Is that so? …They agreed?”
“Think about it, it’s not difficult. I’m just asking them to stand night watch, not do anything else. They just need to close their eyes and lie down. How easy is that? Go and talk to those two properly.”
“…”
What insane nonsense is this? I quickly looked at the pig and Son Byung-chul, wondering if I had misheard.
*Thunk.*
I saw Son Byung-chul grip his shotgun tightly. The veins on the back of his hand bulged, and his fingertips turned white. He was clearly angry. He took a moment to calm his breathing, then slowly walked toward the door.
So I hadn’t misheard. I felt like vomiting at his words, and my mouth involuntarily puckered in disgust. How… could anyone think like that? They said he was a cult leader who was good with words, but he’s just a crazy person who thinks only with his lower half. What’s with “that person”? He’s just a perverted pig.
I wanted to get angry and storm out right away. The pig seemed oblivious; despite my agitated response, he just kept talking. Bragging, bragging, nothing but self-praise. He was so good at packaging himself that anyone in a desperate situation might fall for it—he seemed to have mastered the art of self-promotion.
“Anyway, what I consider most important in this village is…”
“…I have a question.”
Kim Doyun, who had been sitting quietly until now, suddenly spoke. The perverted pig, who had been smiling constantly, froze, perhaps annoyed at being interrupted.
“Where did the other person you mentioned before go?”
“…Why are you looking for that person?”
The perverted pig’s eyes darted back and forth.
“I have something to discuss with that person. I’d like to meet them…”
“…Do you know each other?”
Kim Doyun didn’t answer. But seeing his subtle smile, the perverted pig’s eyes darted around even more. Despite his earlier swagger and arrogance, he now showed clear signs of tension. As the perverted pig kept glancing at the door, I looked in that direction. I could see the two men guarding the door and Son Byung-chul, who still hadn’t left. Both Son Byung-chul and the two men were staring at Kim Doyun with very surprised eyes.
What’s going on? I looked back and forth between Kim Doyun and the flustered perverted pig. The pig now had no trace of his earlier composure. He just kept sweating profusely, drinking his tea, and breathing heavily.
“Um, ahem. I’m sorry, but I can’t tell strangers, so what’s your relationship with that person?”
The perverted pig anxiously asked while rubbing his plump hands together.
“I know them… just a little.”
“…Are you perhaps someone who came to deliver a message?”
Message? I had no idea what the perverted pig was talking about and just rolled my eyes. Kim Doyun also seemed not to understand what he meant. As he didn’t respond and just stared silently, the perverted pig’s hand-rubbing became more frantic.
“Have people gathered? Is that person returning? When? Did you come to tell me that?”
The perverted pig fired off questions rapidly. I finally understood why he was anxious and why he was asking such questions. He had said that person had left a message about bringing back other people, so he probably thought Kim Doyun’s arrival was related to that. It was frustrating that I couldn’t explain the situation to Kim Doyun. Kim Doyun stared at the perverted pig for a while, then shook his head.
“That’s not it. I have something I must discuss in person, so I was wondering where they are…”
“Is that so?”
The perverted pig’s face brightened momentarily, then he cleared his throat and spoke rather decorously.
“Ahem, hmm. That person is extremely busy with important business, so they won’t be back for a while.”
“Ah, then could I perhaps know what business?”
“Well, hmm, that person specifically asked me to keep it secret, so it’s difficult to tell you…”
The perverted pig put on airs as he wiped his chin with his sleeve. I had to make quite an effort to keep my face from scowling. Didn’t he say they went to gather people? From what Jang Jae-gyeong knew, it seemed like common knowledge among the villagers. What’s this about specifically asking for secrecy… After talking with Kim Doyun, he probably thought he could get away with exploiting people a bit more. It was clear they knew each other, but there was no information about that person.
I was about to say something without thinking, but Kim Doyun patted my hand, stopping me.
“I see… Then do you know where they went?”
“Ah, yes. Of course, of course. Their destination isn’t a secret, so I can tell you that.”
When Kim Doyun asked where they had gone, the perverted pig brightened up considerably and opened his mouth. His large body fidgeted as if he might stand up at any moment.
“Just go west from this house. That’s where they went.”
But the directions he gave were pathetic. With all his arrogance, I thought he would know the exact location. Just go west from here? I could have said that. Kim Doyun seemed exasperated too and let out a small sigh.
“I’m sorry I can’t give you the exact location. What’s important to that person is important to me, so I’d appreciate your understanding.”
The pig spoke with a deliberately solemn expression. But we couldn’t argue. The men at the door were all nodding their heads simultaneously, and if we had said anything there, they would have undoubtedly caused a commotion with their guns. I wondered what was so great about this guy that they kept calling him “that person” and serving him.
“Important business…”
After thinking for a long time, Kim Doyun nodded lightly with a slight smile. Perhaps because there was nothing more to gain, he didn’t ask further and cleanly gave up.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
