The Evolution of Species Chapter 2.1 - Chasing

It was a pleasant morning.

A soft feather pillow, a feather duvet, clean sheets, and a mattress with no discomfort whatsoever. Proper heating was a bonus.

Sunlight slipped through the gaps in the curtains, dancing around the edges of my eyes. I hugged the pillow, lingered a bit longer between the plush mattress and the thick feather duvet, then got up.

The guest bedroom came with its own bathroom, fully stocked with everything I needed, including disposable toothpaste and a toothbrush. Naturally, there was a shower robe and fresh towels as well. I stepped barefoot onto the warm, heated beige tiles and stood in front of the spotless sink, brushing my teeth for a long time.

10:48 a.m.

A perfectly timed morning, neither too late nor too early.

Now, if only I had a well-grilled asparagus and poached egg steak salad with orange juice, it’d be perfect.

I left the room. The living room sparkled in the morning sunlight. A Roman villa adorned with terracotta tiles and marble is nice, but a high-rise penthouse overlooking Seoul’s skyscrapers isn’t bad either.

On the impeccably tidy living room table, something was placed. I picked it up. A card key and a note written in neat handwriting.

[This is the access card key. You’ll need it for entry, so please keep it with you. —Kwon Sinwoo]

The handwriting was as beautiful as his hands.

At first, I thought it was printed. The note faintly smelled of ink. I stared at it for a moment, then set the note down and slipped the card key into my pocket.

While I was at it, I decided to explore the apartment a bit more.

There were five rooms. Each one was spacious, and three had attached bathrooms, one of which was the guest room I’d stayed in last night. Every room offered a view of Seoul’s skyscrapers and the distant, shimmering Han River. The other two seemed like Kwon Sinwoo’s personal spaces. Out of courtesy, I didn’t go in.

The kitchen was state-of-the-art. It was connected to the dining area, and like the living room, it was decorated with well-maintained plants and flowers scattered here and there. I briefly considered brewing a coffee at the coffee machine but decided that might be impolite and gracefully backed off.

After snooping as far as the fridge, I got hungry.

There were some prepared foods and ingredients in the fridge, but like the coffee machine, I decided not to touch them.

Instead, I left the apartment.

It was cold, and the wind was blowing.

Fortunately, I didn’t have to walk far before I found a cafeteria. The word “Brunch” was written in big English letters, so I didn’t hesitate to go in. I ordered a brunch set, four sandwiches, the largest cup of café latte, and two egg tarts.

I sat by the window, looking outside while waiting for the food.

People strolled leisurely along the wide road. In this cold. It was surprising.

The food arrived soon. It was pretty tasty. Even the café latte, which I hadn’t expected much from, was decent.

After devouring everything, my brain started to kick into gear. Taking advantage of the moment, I organized the situation I was in.

First off. Finding a partner was definitely the right move. Not just because of last night’s comfortable bed, either. Anyway, this is Korea, and while it may be my homeland, I don’t know much about it. Getting a local partner was the right call.

Second. That doesn’t mean I can just sit back and do nothing. I don’t know how far I can trust this Kwon Sinwoo guy, and blindly following someone isn’t my style.

Third. So how should I move forward? The dog trader. Dead. The boss. Dead. The remaining keyword is the platform… Where do I find that info? Should I ask my partner for help, or should I move independently? If I go solo, where do I start looking?

At that point, I thought of the illegal fight club in Pocheon. The boss is dead, but the fight club is probably still there. Places like that don’t usually shut down just because the operator dies. There are too many tangled interests at play…

After thinking that far, I went back to the counter and ordered some kind of cream puff drink that was obviously going to be insanely sweet. As expected, an insanely sweet drink came out. Gulping it down gave me the courage to leave the cozy, warm café and head out into the biting wind.

I left the café and hurried along.

When I put my hand in my pocket, I felt the card key. I fiddled with it and thought about Kwon Sinwoo for a moment. A man who doesn’t seem like an alpha.

Anyway, giving me this card key means I have permission to come and go as I please, right?

I returned to Kwon Sinwoo’s apartment and stepped into the elevator. Just as the doors were closing, someone rushed in frantically.

A young alpha. Mid-twenties, maybe. He reeked of alcohol and sweat, which didn’t suit this beautiful noon. I glanced at him. Our eyes met. He looked a bit dumb. Like most alphas. I quickly lost interest.

Leaning against the corner, I pulled out my smartphone and searched for Kwon Sinwoo. In Korean and in English. Surprisingly, there were a lot of results. Photos came up too. I found the word “chaebol.” In Korean and in English. Surprisingly, Pederson was right. This Korean billionaire thing seemed like a big deal.

“Hey!”

A gruff voice called out to me.

I looked up.

The alpha reeking of alcohol and sweat was glaring at me. I swear, I haven’t done anything in Korea to warrant that kind of look from a stranger. Well, not much. In my experience, you’d need to cause trouble about 50 times to get this kind of hassle three times on the street, and in Korea, I’ve only…

“Who are you?”

He spoke in an unmistakably confrontational tone.

I didn’t respond. Why should I answer an existential question about who I am to some random idiot?

He stepped toward me.

“Housekeeper? Part-timer? Temp? No way…”

And he spouted some ridiculous nonsense. It was blatant racism. There’s no reason for me to be mistaken for a housekeeper just because I’m from Mexico.

I scanned him up and down. He got mad, like a cat hit on the nose.

“What’s with this cocky bastard!”

And he started yelling.

“What are you? How’d you get in here?”

Just then, with a ding, the elevator stopped.

I pushed past him and got off. He followed me out. It didn’t end there. He grabbed my shoulder from behind.

“How’d you get in here, huh? Damn it, what kind of crazy bitch are you?”

It was extremely unpleasant. I turned around and slapped his hand away hard. “Ouch!” he yelped, throwing a fit.

“I just swiped the card key. It’s not like there’s some high-tech security to get in.”

“You, you…”

His mouth, mid-tantrum, gaped open, and his dumb face suddenly twisted into a blotchy mess.

“You, Sinwoo hyung… No way…”

Sinwoo hyung? Who’s that… Aha.

Only then did I scan his face up and down again. He still looked dumb. But upon closer inspection, there were faint similarities in the brow, eyebrows, and nose bridge. Probably some distant cousin of Kwon Sinwoo’s, like an eighth cousin or something.

I pulled the card key from my pocket.

“Got it from Kwon Sinwoo.”

The idiot’s mouth opened wider.

“Sinwoo hyung…”

He gasped, and his entire body, from head to toe, turned bright red.

“S-sorry, I mean, my apologies…”

He hurriedly backed away. Thud! His back hit the elevator door. The doors slid open again, and he scrambled inside. He must’ve been mashing the close button, because the doors shut quickly.

I glanced at the idiot’s pathetic face for about 0.01 seconds through the closing doors before turning away.

It seemed like a huge misunderstanding, but I was too lazy to deal with it.

The apartment was still quiet, and Kwon Sinwoo wasn’t there.

There were soda water and mineral water in the fridge. I thought about the card key again. Giving me the card key means I’m allowed to use this place, which means I can drink the soda water and mineral water in the fridge… There was a lemon in the vegetable drawer too. Like I was at a fancy island bar, I sliced the lemon, filled a crystal glass from the cupboard with ice, and took the glass to the living room window.

I gazed at the skyscrapers, lost in thought for a moment. Even the dreary gray sky had a certain sentimental charm…

About three minutes into admiring the city view, my phone rang. Not many people know this prepaid phone number. I answered without hesitation.

As expected, it was Edmundo.

[Hey!]

He started the conversation rather impatiently.

“Good afternoon. How’ve you been?”

In contrast, I didn’t forget my manners.

[Good afternoon, my ass, it’s ten at night here!]

I shrugged. I had no intention of explaining the land of Eastern courtesy to Edmundo.

[Drop whatever you’re doing and come back now.]

Edmundo went a step further, ordering me to work or pray or whatever. I don’t even know how to pray.

[That guy, that bastard! The one you asked me to look up!]

“Oh, Kwon Sinwoo?”

[Yeah, Kwon Sinwoo or whatever! That guy’s an arms dealer. An arms dealer!]

I figured he wasn’t just some upright businessman.

Edmundo was practically spitting [I didn’t see it, but I’m sure of it] and jumping up and down.

[Seoran Defense! From heavy weapons to lethal drones… Man, no one’s ever come out clean messing with arms dealers! Those guys always work with the government, you know that! Damn it, if I’d known from the start, I wouldn’t have given you the info… If Martin finds out, he’ll have my head… Anyway, pull out while you can and get back here!]

An arms dealer, huh. I thought of that Seoran-something business card. Honestly, I’ve never met a decent arms dealer. But I haven’t met every arms dealer in the world, so isn’t it a bit early to judge?

[Why aren’t you answering? You damn bastard, you’re gonna hang up again, aren’t you? Huh? If you pull that crap again…]

He knows me well.

I hung up.

I’m not the kind of disloyal guy who’d ditch a partner over one phone call. It’s not that I don’t trust Edmundo, but I needed to be a bit more cautious and observe the situation.

I set the glass on the table and climbed onto the sofa. I’m not great at info wars, but I can handle Google. I mean, I can search for a company name like Seoran-something. Seoran Defense, Seoran Group, let’s see. All sorts of info—scale, history, you name it—popped up in a jumbled mess. I narrowed my eyes and read through it carefully.

After about an hour of wading through a garbage dump of messy info, I finished gathering what I needed.

Seoran Group consists of several subsidiaries, including Seoran Defense [the problematic arms company], and it’s a family business. That wasn’t surprising at all. For something as delicate and cautious as arms dealing, who else can you trust but family?

The only difference between Seoran Defense and the arms dealers I know is that Seoran develops, manufactures, and sells its own weapons, I guess?

So, Seoran Defense is the full name of SR. The same SR that’s listed alongside Lockheed Martin and Boeing.

Edmundo was right. Kwon Sinwoo was an arms dealer. Just on a slightly larger scale than usual.

Dealing with an arms dealer is no different from dealing with the government. Especially arms dealers above a certain size—they always have the government’s eyes on their backs.

I leaned back on the sofa armrest and sank into thought.

Two minutes of thinking, and my head started to hurt. In times like this, it’s better to come to a conclusion quickly to avoid a headache.

First, Kwon Sinwoo is an arms dealer. Getting tangled with an arms dealer is a hassle, no doubt. Second, Kwon Sinwoo is my partner. And just two hours ago, I told myself that finding a partner was the right move.

So, third. I’m not going to go back on my word.

Once I reached a conclusion, the headache vanished. I sprang up from the sofa. And I switched my phone, which had been ringing nonstop, to silent.

I waited for sunset.

Time flew by. The TV was huge, and there were hundreds of channels. Watching a home shopping channel selling interesting stuff made the time zip by.

Around five, the sunset began to fall outside the full-length windows.

Seoul turned red.

I cast my gaze toward the exotic scenery. I briefly tried to spot where I was born among the countless buildings, then stood up.

Kwon Sinwoo still hadn’t shown up.

It seemed this apartment was one of his secondary residences. Billionaires typically own dozens of unused apartments or mansions as a hobby, so I could understand.

Anyway, if he doesn’t stay here regularly, it made sense why that idiot reeking of alcohol tried to sneak in. Probably planning to use his distant cousin’s vacation home as a weekend hideout, huh?

Heh, sorry, but that’s not happening for a while.

I went to the kitchen. I remembered there was milk in the fridge with a long expiration date. I pulled cereal from the pantry [ugh! Oatmeal flavor!] and, after digging deeper, scored some maple syrup. Even the cardboard-like oatmeal cereal became edible with maple syrup drizzled on it. Standing at the island bar, I polished off a box of cereal and left the apartment.

I bought a green scarf at a subway station shop. It was too cold.

I caught a glimpse of myself in a full-length mirror outside a clothing store. My nose was bright red. Not just my nose—my cheeks were flushed like a drunk’s. I checked the temperature on my phone. 3°C… This is March on Earth? The long-standing mystery of why Yoon Eun-kyung left Korea 22 years ago to settle in Mexico was finally solved.

Thankfully, the subway was blasting heat. It was crowded too. Saturday night. Sandwiched between people, sharing their warmth, I made my way to Yeoksam-dong.

The legal casino was luxurious and packed.

I scanned my surroundings in the red-carpeted lobby. People dressed in all sorts of styles were laughing and chatting. Half were white, the rest looked like foreigners who could pass as Korean. There were some tourists, but no families. The vibe was completely different from Las Vegas.

I exchanged some cash for chips at the counter. Since gambling wasn’t my goal, I only got a small amount.

I passed a corridor lined with slot machines and descended three steps down a wide, five-meter staircase into a dimly lit hall decorated with artificial lights and flowers. Having been here once before, I didn’t get lost.

A long, rounded bar appeared. Three bartenders were bustling inside.

I took a seat at a corner of the bar. I took off my scarf and coat. A bartender approached me. A man with long eyes and thin eyebrows.

“Back again?”

He spoke to me familiarly.

I just shrugged.

“Cuba Libre, right?”

“Yeah.”

Luckily, this bartender wasn’t half bad.

Soon, a Cuba Libre arrived in a pretty glass. The bartender lingered instead of leaving, chattering on.

“Come on a weekday next time. How long are you in Korea? Weekends are busy, but today’s especially crazy.”

Pointless small talk.

After a bit, he left with a reluctant look. And as soon as he did, the fish started biting.

Three or four people struck up conversations with me. All regular types. I humored a few, but ignored the ones that didn’t feel right. It didn’t take long. A greasy-faced guy, maybe 25 or 30, sat next to me.

“Hey.”

He spoke in English with a Korean accent.

“Chinese? Japanese?”

“Filipino.”

He looked slightly surprised when I shook my head.

“Oh, really? Mixed?”

“Nope. Immigrated as a kid.”

“Got it. You speak English well.”

He complimented my English like an American. When I didn’t respond, he laughed to himself and called the bartender to order two cocktails. An apple mojito and a dry martini.

The bartender made the drinks and set them in front of us. An apple mojito was placed before me.

The guy leaned in toward me, whispering as if we were trading nuclear secrets.

“You know you’re the prettiest one here? You’re an omega, right?”

“Hmm. Well. As you can see.”

“Knew it.”

He nodded again, all secretive.

It was almost “You’re a North Korean spy, aren’t you?” level of secrecy. Honestly, it was kind of funny. Probably a Korean-style joke. I’ll have to try it on Edmundo when I get back to Mexico: “You’re a guy, right?”

“Why’d you come to Korea? Tourism?”

“Nope. I’m here to make money.”

“Haha, gonna make money at the casino? Wanna play roulette? I know a dealer…”

“Nah. Last time I was here, some guy offered me a job. Know about fight clubs? A gig there.”

“Oh, that… I know it well.”

His face turned sleazy. Jackpot. And I flashed him a grin.

It was easy from there.

He suggested we move somewhere else. I got up cheerfully.

Leaving the casino, the cold, glittering Seoul night unfolded. I suggested we smoke a cigarette, and he agreed with excessive enthusiasm. We slipped into a narrow alley behind the building. Unlike the main road, it was dark and empty. The ground was littered with cigarette butts and spit stains. Three seconds later, the guy was on his knees, handing me a business card.

“This, this, you need this to, to get in… Ughhh!”

He broke down crying mid-sentence. I swear I didn’t hit him hard enough to cry.

I was examining the business card I’d taken from the crybaby, stepping out of the alley, when—

“Hey!”

A dark figure called out to me from a distance.

I glanced over.

A man in a long coat stood there. Dumb face. Aha. I recognized him instantly. The elevator idiot.

“I saw everything.”

He approached me, talking fast.

I watched, curious about what this idiot was going to say.

“You coming out of the casino, and just now, sneaking off with some punk and coming back out… You’re selling yourself, aren’t you?”

A fascinating misunderstanding.

When I didn’t respond, he interpreted it somehow, and his dumb face twisted. He lowered his head, growling and shoving his face close to mine in a threatening way.

“Stay away from Sinwoo hyung. A cheap thing like you doesn’t belong with him.”

Then he pulled something from his coat. A thick envelope. And he threw it at my chest like he was slamming it down. I deftly caught it in mid-air with two fingers just before it hit me.

I gauged the weight and thickness of the contents while glancing at the idiot. The darkness hid half his face, but even so, his sharp, three-dimensional features stood out. Still looked dumb. Like a very ugly, very dumb distant relative of Kwon Sinwoo. Or maybe an Australopithecus from 3 million years before Kwon Sinwoo’s evolution.

I tossed the paper envelope lightly into the air and caught it again while shrugging my shoulders.

“Who are you? Kwon Sinwoo’s eighth cousin’s nephew or something?”

“I’m his cousin!”

The idiot went ballistic.

“Anyway, break it off! I said break it off!”

He was making such a racket that people outside the alley started peeking in our direction. What’s going on? Is it a fight? Should we call the police? With those kinds of murmurs, the surroundings got lively. The idiot flinched, looked around, and quickly pointed at me.

“There’s enough money in there for a cheap thing like you to never earn in ten years, even with your legs spread, so take it quietly and get lost. Got it?”

With that, the idiot scurried off like a lowlife villain in a bad movie.

I gave a brief glance at the end of the alley where he disappeared, then slightly opened the money envelope to peek inside. The amount was true to its weight and thickness.

From outside the alley, the idiot’s final shout echoed.

“I’m watching you! Stay away from hyung!”

Well, I’ll handle that myself. Anyway, I’ll put the money to good use.

A pleasant second morning.

I woke up under a feather duvet of just the right thickness and weight. The bed was still cozy. I stretched my arms and legs in the duvet, yawning, then got up and slid out from under it.

I stripped off my clothes one by one and stepped into the shower stall. The shampoo and soap smelled nice. After enjoying a long, hot shower, my mood got even better.

I put on a bathrobe and left the bathroom. Should I go out for a fancy brunch? Maybe sundae soup, gamjatang, or naengmyeon with charcoal-grilled galbi… As I was thinking about that, I stopped dead in the hallway leading to the living room.

Between the fabric sofa and a large vase, a man I hadn’t expected to see again here was standing.

“Uh…”

I stared at him blankly.

He stared back at me.

Maybe five seconds passed? Kwon Sinwoo slowly turned his body. His profile came into view. A sharp nose, a deep-set eye leading to a sleek cheekbone. He was wearing charcoal gray dress pants and a white dress shirt without a tie. The cuffs and collar were impeccably crisp, so it didn’t feel all that casual.

A man who looked perfectly like a weekday morning spoke to me.

“Shall we have breakfast together?”

And then he brushed past me.

I glanced at the spot he left behind, at the neatly arranged living room table and sofa. There wasn’t a trace of the convenience store potato chips I’d been munching on while lounging on the sofa last night.

I shrugged, turned, and followed Kwon Sinwoo.

Breakfast was simple. Toast, three kinds of jam, butter and olive spread, sugar-free soda, and organic orange juice. No eggs, but there was a smoked salmon salad, likely takeout, in a plastic container. Everything was fresh. The salmon was a vivid coral, and the arugula and lettuce were crisp and green. I picked up a piece of salmon with my fingers and popped it into my mouth. Kwon Sinwoo slid a fork and knife toward me. I swallowed the salmon first, then gratefully accepted his gesture.

I munched on crunchy toast while observing Kwon Sinwoo.

Because he’s my partner, and understanding your partner is important.

Anyway.

He ate at a pace that was neither fast nor slow. He didn’t spill anything, his fork didn’t clink against the plate, and he didn’t chew with his mouth open. It was an almost detached attitude, like he was eating diet oatmeal. As expected, not very alpha-like. Alphas, you see… when there’s food in front of them, their eyes go wild…

“Don’t like salmon?”

At my question, Kwon Sinwoo looked at me.

“I don’t dislike it.”

“Don’t love it either?”

“I like it to some extent.”

“I prefer steak over smoked.”

This time, no response came.

I threw out another question.

“Got a cousin?”

Kwon Sinwoo looked up at me again. His jaw chewed food, and his Adam’s apple bobbed sharply as he swallowed. I waited until he took a sip of soda.

Setting the glass down, the corner of Kwon Sinwoo’s mouth curved up gently.

“Yes, I do.”

“Hmm. Not much resemblance, huh?”

The fork in Kwon Sinwoo’s hand slipped across the plate, making a screech. A moment later, he slowly set the fork down and spoke.

“…Well, I’ve never really heard that before… Why do you think that?”

“Just a feeling.”

I chuckled.

I mean, who could even bring up a resemblance between that idiot, who looked like a cross between Kwon Sinwoo’s eighth cousin’s nephew and an Australopithecus, and this guy?

Anyway, it was about time to bring up business.

First, I slathered olive spread generously on my toast and took a big bite. Delicious. After finishing one piece, I reached for a second and spoke.

“Since we’re partners, let’s talk business. How’s the ledger tracking going?”

This time it was fig jam. I could taste crushed walnuts.

“It’s going well.”

“No, more specifics. I gave you that ledger. I’ve got a right to know this much, don’t I?”

Whoever first thought of mixing crushed walnuts with figs to make jam deserves a Nobel Prize.

“The ledger’s been fully tracked.”

“Already? So what? You found the platform?”

“No.”

I was craving coffee more than orange juice, wondering if I should brew some from the coffee machine.

“There’s more than one ledger. The platform split the funds and laundered them through cryptocurrency. The one you brought was one of them.”

“What about the rest?”

“The one you brought was the last.”

At that roundabout answer, I looked up. The dog trader, before he died, had asked me if I was the one hitting the laundromats.

The plates were empty now.

Kwon Sinwoo reached out and pulled a tissue. He used it to wipe up the breadcrumbs and jam I’d spilled.

“We’re currently at the stage of blocking the money flow. With the flow blocked, something will move soon, whatever it is.”

“So we just wait?”

“For now.”

Kwon Sinwoo answered in a monotone voice but with a gentle expression.

“For now, yes.”

I hate waiting.

I especially hate sitting still and waiting.

I leaned my elbow on the island bar and looked at Kwon Sinwoo. He met my gaze, then gave a slight smile. Kind eyes, a pretty smile. But this man is an arms dealer.

“What’s the platform?”

“A crime platform.”

He answered nonchalantly.

“They buy, sell, broker. Or all of the above.”

“Hmm. Middlemen. There’s like three thousand of them out there. What’s so special about this one?”

“It guarantees perfect anonymity.”

Kwon Sinwoo said.

I blinked.

“That’s impossible.”

“Let’s revise that to near-perfect anonymity.”

He continued, aligning the scattered jam jars neatly.

“What I’m looking for is the person who gave money to the platform. More precisely, the evidence of it.”

Evidence, huh. I crossed my arms and leaned forward, almost sprawling on the bar.

“Sounds like you already know who it is.”

“Large sums of money moved, and there aren’t many people capable of moving that kind of money.”

“If it’s a sum big enough to pinpoint, they’d use a pro on your side instead of moving it directly.”

“Yes.”

Kwon Sinwoo gave a picture-perfect smile.

“As you know, I’m not that kind of pro. But what can I do?”

He said with kind eyes and a kind voice.

“When a key witness dies at the end, you have no choice but to jump in from the start this time.”

Well, I figured an arms dealer of this scale would have a reason to get involved personally. A tearful betrayal, a painful backstab, something like that.

I uncrossed my arms and shrugged.

“Anyway, if we catch and beat up this platform guy, that evidence will come up too. Keep up the good work until then, Vice President Kwon.”

“Here’s to our mutual cooperation.”

Then he tilted his head slightly and asked.

“Shall I call you Yoon?”

At that, I couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter.

And seeing Kwon Sinwoo’s expression while I laughed made me laugh even harder.

After a while, I wiped the slight tears from my eyes with the tip of my pinky and said.

“No.”

I pulled a business card from my pocket.

“If you ever need anything, contact me after this job’s done. I’ll give you a special deal.”

He took my card.

His quiet eyes studied it.

A moment later, he looked up and gave a slight smile.

“Alright, Hakyung.”

And he called me by my name, which wasn’t written on the card.

Truth be told, sitting still and waiting for a job to wrap up isn’t my thing. Plus, I had a bad feeling. A bad vibe, you know. When I get this feeling, it’s always followed by untimely rain or a stray bullet flying in.

In times like this, you’ve got to move. Stir something up, and something’s bound to come up.

I left Kwon Sinwoo’s apartment. First, I rented a car. The money donated by that Australopithecus was a big help. I was almost out of the cash I took from the dog trader’s safe, so I was already thinking about where to make some more.

“Available the day after tomorrow?”

“Nothing sooner?”

“That model’s not available, but this coupe is free tomorrow afternoon.”

The coupe was too flashy and two-wheel drive, so I wasn’t thrilled. I was mulling it over.

Outside the rickety glass door of the makeshift rental office, a sports car honked loudly—Beep! The employee gasped, covering her mouth with her glittery manicured hand.

The driver’s window of the sports car rolled down with a whir.

Good lord. It was the Australopithecus.

Did he come to supervise how I’m spending his donation?

“Hey, you!”

He pointed at me through the car window.

Anyway, perfect timing.

I turned back to the employee.

“I’ll pick it up the day after tomorrow.”

“Yes, then please sign here…”

I quickly scribbled my signature on the paperwork, got the maximum insurance coverage, paid the deposit in crisp bills, and approached the nuisance still blaring his horn.

“You, you damn bitch, why are you still hanging around Sinwoo hyung’s place! I told you to break it off! Why won’t you leave!”

I opened the passenger door and climbed in.

“Why are you getting in!”

He shouted.

I shrugged.

“The car’s not available until the day after tomorrow.”

“No, not that, why are you getting in my car!”

“You showed up.”

I tapped the navigation screen firmly with my finger.

“No! Why are you entering an address!”

“Let’s go here.”

“Why the hell should I!”

“If you don’t want to drive, move over.”

It’s not like I enjoy sitting in the passenger seat, waiting politely for a chauffeur to take me to my destination.

“Why should I move, it’s my car…”

His voice got quieter and whinier.

Outside, two rental agency employees in cheap suits ran out and started yelling at him.

“Why are you causing trouble at someone else’s business! Get lost, damn it! Before we call the cops!”

The Australopithecus, cursing under his breath, finally started the car. The two-seater silver sports car roared out of the parking lot with a heavy engine growl.

“Why are you still at Sinwoo hyung’s place.”

He grumbled in a lower voice. I shrugged.

“Why can’t I be?”

“Why? The money… You took it…”

“Oh, that money? Yeah, I got it. Spent it well. Thanks.”

“What the hell does that—”

[Take the right exit onto the elevated road. Follow the pink lane.]

The car changed lanes to the right.

“You took the money, so you’re supposed to break it off! That’s common sense!”

“Why should I? I don’t want to.”

“Is this bitch crazy! Don’t you know common sense?”

[Enter the underpass. Use the second lane from the right.]

The car went into the underpass.

“But where is this… Pocheon?”

“Got somewhere to go.”

“A weird place?”

He said, surprisingly sharp.

“How’d you know?”

When I asked, he snorted.

“Obvious, isn’t it? Probably some shady motel corner for a call or something.”

His sharpness didn’t last a second. I shrugged.

“I’m not a weird person, alright.”

I handed him my business card.

“I don’t usually give my card to just anyone.”

One percent was gratitude for the ride, and the other ninety-nine percent was out of respect for Kwon Sinwoo’s face. He’s my partner’s cousin, so I’ve got to cut him some slack, right?

He held the steering wheel with his left hand and took my card with his right. He squinted at it with a grimace.

“Says you do anything? Damn, you do business with perverts? How the hell are you with Sinwoo hyung…”

It seems this idiot’s head is filled with nothing but dumb, dirty thoughts. I shrugged.

He flipped the card back and forth, then looked at me with a deep frown.

“Yoon? A stage name?”

Honestly, I had no desire to tell this idiot my name, so I kept my mouth shut.

I thought of Kwon Sinwoo. He called me “Yoon” before even getting my card, and called me “Hakyung” despite my name not being on it.

He must’ve looked into me.

It didn’t feel bad. I’d looked into him a bit too, after all. And I planned to look into him more from now on.

“You said you’re Kwon Sinwoo’s cousin, right?”

At my question, he made a reluctant face.

“Yeah, I did.”

“Then you must know a lot about him.”

“I’m not answering your questions.”

“Do you work at the weapons company too?”

“Weapons company? Not exactly wrong… Well, I’m in a different division from Sinwoo hyung.”

This guy was ridiculously easy.

During the two-hour drive to Pocheon, I found out Kwon Sinwoo’s age, education, height, talents, where he’s currently working [geographically speaking], what sports he does, and what his parents are like. Plus, I learned this idiot’s name is Kwon Jaewoo. Except for the last bit, it was all valuable info.

When we arrived in Pocheon, it was still afternoon. Plenty of time. I hurried the idiot into a quiet roadside diner serving kongnamul gukbap.

I ordered the special kongnamul gukbap, seafood pajeon, memil jeonbyeong, shrimp tempura, and galbi mandu. The idiot kept grumbling. He’s busy, he doesn’t have time to go on a drive like this, blah blah blah. Sorry, but he looked insanely free and insanely happy.

“Oh, I should drink some dongdongju.”

He even spouted nonsense like that. And then he put it into action.

Of course, I didn’t care whether he got busted for drunk driving or not, so I let him be. He must be chummy with the cops or something.

“Isn’t it kind of unfair that the drunk driving penalties are the same for variants and regulars?”

Look at this human rights crusader.

We finished the food and left the diner.

The idiot naturally headed toward the passenger side. Unbelievable.

Anyway, since he adamantly insisted he wouldn’t drive drunk, I took the wheel.

The timing was perfect. The sun was resting on the western ridge.

After about ten minutes of driving, the car turned onto a secluded two-lane national road, and after another ten minutes, a lone building appeared in a place where dense forest and gently curving mountains overlapped. The building was sparkling with neon signs, and there was some incomprehensible banner that read, “Kim Changmin Acoustic Guitar Live! Fantastic Humming!”

“What is this place?”

Kwon Jaewoo, the idiot, mumbled.

I ignored his question and drove toward the parking lot.

A parking attendant was yawning in front of a small temporary structure.

I parked in a suitable spot and got out. The idiot kept grumbling about something, but I ignored him.

We entered the building. The interior was dark, with slightly tacky lighting. The first and second floors were open, with the second floor overlooking the stage on the first. On the stage, an old, ugly guy was strumming a guitar.

I took a seat at a table about seven meters from the stage. The laminated menu was a bit sticky.

While scanning the menu, I locked eyes with the idiot, who was staring down at me with a horrified expression.

“You… How old are you…”

“Me? Why all of a sudden?”

“A place like this… Are you insane… Acoustic guitar… Live café… Are you out of your mind?”

He spoke in a way that lacked clear structure—introduction, body, conclusion, subject, object, or predicate. So, naturally, I ignored him.

For now, I ordered something called a “Tropical Fruits Cocktail,” an unidentified concoction. Kwon Jaewoo grimaced and said, “I’ll just… have a draft beer. And some dry snacks.”

The employee taking our order had a somewhat dazed expression. I let them go and waited.

On the stage, the old, ugly guy started singing. Unlike his face, his singing was decent enough.

Another employee brought the drinks and food. They were dressed in a shiny jacket vest with a silk handkerchief tucked in. They had a slick, oily demeanor. When the employee set down the unidentified cocktail, beer, and a plate of torn-up dried sea creatures, I handed them a crisp business card.

“This came from someone I know. Is this the right place?”

The employee examined the card and smiled.

“Sir, you’ll need to head downstairs for that. Anyway, it’s still boring up here, and you’ve already ordered drinks, so why don’t you go down later? One of our staff will guide you.”

With that, they handed the card back to me.

I nodded, and the employee left.

“What? What’s that?”

The idiot asked dumbly from behind his beer glass.

“What do you think? It’s why I’m here.”

“Whose card is that? One of your clients? Waiting for you downstairs?”

“Just drink your beer.”

I kindly slid the beer glass toward him.

About an hour later, an employee approached us. Black dress shirt, glossy silver vest. Looked like a mackerel. They grinned at us and said.

“Sir, would you like to move now?”

I immediately stood up. The idiot hurriedly chugged the last bit of his beer—less than half left—and followed suit.

“You don’t have to come.”

I whispered, and he glared at me, lowering his voice to hiss.

“You think I’d let you go alone when I don’t know what crazy crap you’re about to pull? It’s some pervert party, isn’t it? Damn it, I knew—”

“Do whatever you want.”

Before he could yap more, I turned away.

“Would you like to pay here? You can also buy an entry ticket downstairs.”

“Do it here.”

I shot a glance at the idiot. The idiot dumbly opened his wallet and handed over a card. He paid with a blank expression, like an ATM machine. He didn’t even seem to know what he was paying for. As far as ATM machines go, that’s a stellar quality.

The employee smiled and began leading us.

At the end of the hallway, a staircase with thick red carpeting appeared. The carpet was so plush that our footsteps made no sound.

Descending the stairs, we reached a heavy fire door. The employee pushed the gilded handle. Holographic lights poured out from inside.

Loud music thumped.

The place was about half full, and the caged stage was still empty.

It was a familiar scene. More precisely, I was used to looking out at this view from that stage.

I headed toward the bar.

In front of the small bar, people were crammed together, ordering beers or unidentified liquors.

I reached through the crowd and ordered two bottled beers, handing one to the idiot.

“I prefer draft.”

He grumbled dumbly. As if a place like this would have draft beer. And even if they did, who knows what they’d put in it? Like that dry martini being passed from hand to hand over there. I don’t know what that powder someone sprinkled in it was, but that martini’s going to taste awful and give a hell of a hangover.

“Be grateful.”

I said solemnly. The idiot made a ridiculous face.

That’s when it happened. The music changed. A fast beat blared. Holographic lasers went wild in a frenzy. The crowd started cheering.

[To everyone who’s been waaaaiting! Today’s game is about to kiiiick off!]

That guy still hasn’t been fired, huh.

The lasers spraying across the ceiling and walls all focused on the stage. Dry ice smoke billowed, and the emcee screamed at the top of his lungs.

[Owner of a fearsome fist! A former boxing champion who can no longer step into the ring after killing his partner, now on a new stage! Will he write a new history of boxing in this place?!]

Blah blah blah…

“Are you insane?”

That’s when Kwon Jaewoo, the idiot, grabbed my shoulder. He leaned down, shoving his face near my ear, and whispered quickly and aggressively.

“Do you know who I am? If word gets out that I was in a place like this, it’s front-page news the next day!”

“You’ve got some serious self-esteem.”

I replied. The idiot made a dumb “Huh?” face.

“Who’d want to see this Australopithecus’s face on the front page first thing in the morning?”

“It’s a compliment.”

I said offhandedly and turned my attention to the stage.

[Two monsters will clash riiiight now! In this very plaaaace!]

The emcee, gripping the mic, was losing it.

And on the stage, behind the bars, two hulking figures roared and charged at each other.

While the crowd was distracted by the boring fight between two regulars, I took a seat at the center of the bar. Kwon Jaewoo followed, grumbling. Complaining about how lame this place was or whatever, but for all that, his eyes were glued to the stage. Well, maybe to an idiot, a game where two regulars bicker and pull each other’s hair is entertaining.

I ordered a Cuba Libre from the bartender.

“Make it sweet. Really sweet.”

“Got it.”

The bartender winked.

“I’ll have a beer.”

Kwon Jaewoo cut in with a curt voice. The professional bartender didn’t flinch and smiled.

“Yes, one ice-cold beer.”

The bartender started shaking a cocktail shaker. I leaned my arm on the bar and tilted my upper body forward. Then I slightly raised my eyes to look up at the bartender.

“The game’s pretty lame today.”

“You been here before?”

“Once.”

Well, I was the main event that time.

The bartender gave a knowing grin.

“You got lucky, sir.”

“They don’t do those games anymore?”

“Well, you know.”

The bartender spread his arms wide, pouring the cocktail from the shaker into a glass with a flashy move.

“It’s not easy to see those types around here.”

He lowered his voice slightly.

“Variants.”

“Don’t you need variants to make a place like this more fun?”

“Sure do. Back then, people paid premiums just to get in and see that. Tickets went for five times the original price, you know? Probably because it was an omega. Usually, if anyone shows up here, it’s an alpha.”

The bartender’s face flushed slightly with excitement.

I nodded along, agreeing, and leaned in closer toward him.

“They don’t do those games anymore?”

“Who knows. Well, lately… Hmm. Supply’s tough. Especially ones like that, omegas. Anyway, things have changed a lot.”

“Is the supply issue because of the platform?”

At my casual question, the bartender’s face froze. He set the cocktail glass in front of me with a slightly hurried motion.

“I wouldn’t know about that stuff. Here. Your Cuba Libre.”

I pulled the slim cocktail glass toward me. The scent of sugar hit me hard. I only savored the aroma.

“Too bad. I was hoping for a good show. I don’t get why the platform or whatever’s been laying low lately.”

The bartender glanced around, then leaned his elbow on the bar, bringing his face closer to mine.

“There’s a rumor going around. They say they got tailed and shut down their business in Korea entirely.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. It’s just a rumor, but… It’s not just about bringing in omegas or alphas. One of the labor agencies we dealt with shut down completely…”

The dog trader, huh. Labor agency. Sounds fancy.

“There’s been talk since way back that the person backing them is someone big…”

The bartender was mid-sentence when he suddenly shut his mouth and quickly stood up. At the same time, someone placed a hand on my shoulder from behind.

“Hey, buddy.”

It was an unpleasant hand, bristling with hair.

I turned around. The face was just as unpleasant as the hand. A lumpy face, like it had been rolled around somewhere, with caterpillar-like eyebrows sprouting wildly.

“You shouldn’t be asking our bartender weird questions. Got it?”

“Wait…”

Kwon Jaewoo, the idiot, started to stand up in a panic. I lightly pushed his chest with one hand to stop him. He twitched his brow and scowled.

“What’s that about?”

“Don’t make things complicated.”

At my words, Eyebrows cackled.

“You know what’s up. Yeah, don’t make things complicated and come with me.”

I obediently stood up to follow Eyebrows. Kwon Jaewoo trailed behind me with a nervous look.

A dark hallway. As the door closed behind us, the holographic lasers and loud music cut off, and it became silent in an instant. The thumping beat sounded faint, like it was coming from far away.

An old incandescent bulb on the ceiling flickered precariously. Eyebrows tapped my shoulder with his unpleasant hand.

“When someone who knows better acts like this, it’s no good. Got it? You go poking around, you’ll get stabbed. It’d be a shame if that pretty face got ruined… Urk!”

I grabbed his wrist and twisted it in one motion. A crunch echoed. I lightly slapped his chin with the back of my hand to stop him from screaming.

“Guh!”

Eyebrows hit the floor.

“Damn it, are you crazy?”

Kwon Jaewoo shrieked.

I ignored him.

Eyebrows, rolling on the floor, was pulling a jackknife from his pocket. As the blade flicked out, I kicked his hand. The knife flew into the air, and the sound of his hand bones shattering rang out.

“Are you insane?!”

Kwon Jaewoo was practically wailing.

“Shut up, idiot.”

I said kindly and immediately grabbed Eyebrows by the collar.

“You, you damn bitch…”

Unoriginal curse. Naturally, it didn’t faze me. I gave Eyebrows a slight smile. What came next was, as always, easy.

To the beat leaking through the thick iron door, I gave him a light thrashing. Soon, he was sobbing, spilling everything he knew.

“Are you seriously crazy?”

After tying up Eyebrows’ limbs and shoving him into a storage room, Kwon Jaewoo turned to me and asked the same question for the third time. I didn’t answer.

“What the hell is the platform?”

“Ask your cousin.”

“Why would I ask Sinwoo hyung about this stupid crap!”

The idiot said something idiotic.

I ignored him and sank into thought for a moment.

The platform has indefinitely shut down its site. Users are anxious. Even if it’s anonymous, there’s fear that transaction records and member info are stored in a database. There’s info that an overseas server routing exists. [Honestly, I don’t really get what that means.] Some users, unable to bear the anxiety, are chasing the platform. According to the latest info, the platform is no longer in Korea.

If that’s true, things are going to get more complicated…

Kwon Sinwoo said things were going well, but are they really?

I was just starting to question how far I should trust my partner’s abilities when—

A creak came from the door across the hallway. Multiple footsteps followed. Bright light shone toward us.

In the light, a group of bulky guys in suits, completely out of place here, appeared in a rush.

“Young master.”

One of them spoke to Kwon Jaewoo, the idiot.

I glanced at the idiot. He had a truly pathetic expression.

“Hey, no, it’s not like that. I didn’t do this, I didn’t cause trouble. This guy started picking a fight with my group…”

The idiot stammered excuses, swallowing his words. His credibility was low, given that Eyebrows, tied up and beaten to a swollen pulp, was whimpering at his feet.

The guy approached Kwon Jaewoo and briefly looked at me. Smooth face. An omega. In my opinion, putting these guys on the stage instead of the two brawling out there would make for a much more thrilling game.

Smooth Face shifted his gaze from me and spoke politely to Kwon Jaewoo again.

“Let’s go. You shouldn’t stay in a dangerous place like this for long.”

He didn’t even glance at the whimpering Eyebrows.

Kwon Jaewoo poked me in the side. What? I brushed him off, and he scowled, leaning down to whisper.

“Hey, let’s go. Stop this crazy stuff. Manager Jung is seriously scary.”

“Who’s stopping you? Let’s go.”

I didn’t think I’d get any more useful info, it was getting late, and the game was boring.

When I answered compliantly, Kwon Jaewoo’s jaw dropped, making him look even dumber.

We followed the woman called Manager Jung or whatever.

As soon as we stepped outside, it was so cold my nose felt like it’d fall off. Several angular sedans were parked in the dim parking lot. A guy standing by one of the sedans quickly opened the back door, and someone stepped out.

It was Kwon Sinwoo.

“Sinwoo hyung…!”

The idiot yelped.

Kwon Sinwoo looked our way. Even in the dark, his eyes shone clearly. The wind blew, rustling the hem of his thin coat. Soon, he strode toward us.

“Kwon Jaewoo.”

He called the idiot first in a gentle but stern voice. The idiot flinched. I thought he’d spew the same nonsense excuses he tried with Manager Jung, but surprisingly, he didn’t. Instead, he hunched his bear-like shoulders and dropped his gaze slightly.

“Sorry…”

That was all he said.

If I were Kwon Sinwoo, I’d have shown this moron cousin the harsh realities of life right then and there, but Kwon Sinwoo didn’t either. He lightly patted Kwon Jaewoo’s shoulder with one hand.

“Go home with Manager Jung.”

“Hyung, can’t I just stay at the Yeoksam-dong place? Pleeease…”

At that, Kwon Sinwoo laughed silently. He ruffled the head of the ox-sized Australopithecus like he was a five-year-old kid.

“Alright.”

If it were me, no way. I don’t even know where the Yeoksam-dong place is.

Manager Jung approached.

“Let’s go, young master.”