Gutter Chapter 17.2

Fortunately, the place where the mob fight had broken out was a good distance away from the piano to which Yeonjo was tied. They were already in such a wretched state that it was impossible to tell when it had even started.

Watching them, Yeonjo felt a wave of dizziness and closed his eyes again. At the same time, his body swayed. Startled by the feeling that he was about to collapse completely to the side, Yeonjo barely managed to straighten his back.

He was sure his body had been firmly fixed to the piano.

The underlings seemed to have no interest in Yeonjo, whose body was swaying from side to side. Glancing furtively at them, Yeonjo then tried wiggling his feet. The muscles in his thighs and calves moved much more smoothly than before.

Wait a minute. I can move my feet too? Yeonjo sensed something was wrong and only then carefully looked down at his own body. His upper body was still tightly bound, but for some reason, the rope securing him to the piano was loose. Not only that, but the rope tying his legs was also slack. Although it wasn’t completely broken, it was loose enough that he could untie it and run away if he set his mind to it.

Yeonjo stared at the underlings with surprised eyes. Did one of them untie me? Or did it luckily come loose on its own.

Moreover, even the warehouse door was slightly ajar. It was as if someone was giving him a signal to escape right now.

But who on earth? How? What had happened while he was unconscious? But even if the ropes were loose, would it really be possible to escape from here.

Yeonjo racked his brain, observing the situation. Judging by the way things were going, it seemed he might be able to get out somehow while they were distracted with their own fistfight, but the problem was what came next. There was no way he could go far in such a tattered body.

Furthermore, he had no strength in his arms or legs at all. His feet, having been tied for a long time, had become stiff and rigid, causing pain whenever he tried to move them. He had not had a single sip of water, let alone food, for days, making it a struggle to even lift a finger. In his current state, even standing up was impossible.

Perhaps it would be better to die here, since it seemed Boss Gu was not coming to this place anyway. It would make no difference whether he died tied up like this or died while trying to escape.

After coughing for a long while in the murky air, Yeonjo felt a deep sense of fatigue and closed his eyelids once more.

How much more time had passed like that? The outside gradually began to grow noisy.

The sounds of car engines and people murmuring, which had been almost inaudible until now, spread through the air. And a few minutes later, it was followed by screams mixed with curses, as if a full-blown gang fight had erupted.

“Shit, what is it.”

“Did he really come? Wasn’t he not coming?”

“Hey, hey. Quickly keep a proper watch on the tied up bastard… Huh? What the. Shit, why are those ropes untied.”

Only then did the underlings notice that the ropes binding Yeonjo had loosened, and they approached him in a fluster.

“Did he untie them himself? What’s up with this.”

“How the hell would I know.”

“Damn it, you bastard. You’re the youngest, what were you doing not watching him properly?”

“…I am sorry.”

“Hey. Is this the time to be blaming each other? First, tie him up again quickly. Ah. No, wait.”

As if he had remembered something, the man pointed to a box near the warehouse entrance.

“Bring a new rope from over there.”

“What do we need a new rope for?”

“Because it’s stronger. It doesn’t cut easily even with a knife.”

As the youngest soon brought a new rope, the man fixed Yeonjo’s body to the piano again and tied his legs and arms once more, even more tightly. All the while, he wondered about the ropes having come undone on their own, and he looked down suspiciously at Yeonjo, who was slowly blinking his eyes, having just regained consciousness from his faint.

“Something is fucking suspicious…”

“You sons of bitches! What are you doing in there? All of you, get out here!”

Just then, someone opened the door from outside and urgently shouted inside. It seemed they were short on people to fight. The underlings scrambled to their feet and began to each grab a wooden club that had been propped against the wall.

“For now, you, the youngest, you keep an eye on this guy, and I’ll be on standby at the entrance. The rest of you, go out and help.”

As if they had never fought amongst themselves, the underlings moved in perfect unison at Gold-tooth’s words. As several of them flung open the warehouse door and went out, the brutal sound of friction from wooden clubs striking people could be heard vividly from outside. The sound of rapidly moving footsteps and bodies collapsing to the ground echoed without pause.

“You motherfucker! Hey, get that bastard!”

“What are you doing, not blocking them properly!”

“Gaaaaah!”

Ear-splitting screams that could jolt one to full consciousness were also exchanged. As the situation suddenly descended into a pandemonium, Yeonjo strenuously lifted his head, which had been bent downwards. How many people were fighting outside the warehouse? Twenty? Thirty? It was difficult to estimate from the sounds alone.

Did Boss Gu really come? Yeonjo frowned and strained his ears to gauge what was happening.

In the meantime, Gold-tooth, who had been standing by the door, took out a can filled with gasoline and began to urgently pour it all the way from the warehouse entrance to where Yeonjo was.

“Hoo-eup! Hoop! Eup!”

Even seeing Yeonjo struggle as he was doused in the nauseating smell of oil, Gold-tooth showed not a shred of hesitation. He recklessly poured it on the furniture, the warehouse walls, and the floor, all over the surroundings, until the gasoline can was empty.

“Hey. You keep a good watch on this bastard. You can’t lose him.”

“Yes. But do you think Gu Munjun really came?”

“Who else would come all the way here raising this kind of hell.”

“Well, that’s true. Where is the boss now?”

“He must be outside. For now, just do as I say.”

At the firm command, the youngest nodded his head. Gold-tooth, panting for breath, carelessly threw the empty can onto the floor, then went to the warehouse door and picked up his wooden club again.

Just as he reached out his hand to go outside, the large door, untouched, began to open by itself.

“It’s Gu Munjun.”

The youngest, who was beside Yeonjo, muttered. At that, Yeonjo’s head also turned toward the warehouse entrance.

A large, now familiar silhouette was opening the door and coming inside.

“Boss, be careful!”

The youngest, holding onto Yeonjo, shouted to Gold-tooth at the entrance. But the black silhouette’s actions were faster than the youngest’s words. Before he could even turn his head, a large foot kicked Gold-tooth in the torso.

Letting out a single death cry, Gold-tooth collapsed to the floor. The silhouette immediately stomped viciously on the fallen body with his foot.

“Bo, Boss!”

Despite the youngest’s call, Gold-tooth writhed, letting out unsightly, choking groans. It seemed like he should have been able to get away, but he was struggling, unable to even turn his body over properly.

“Stop! Don’t come any closer!”

At that, the youngest pulled a short knife from his pocket and pressed it against Yeonjo’s neck. The uniquely chilling, metallic sensation precisely touched the carotid artery where his pulse was throbbing.

The fine hairs on the back of Yeonjo’s neck stood on end. Because the youngest grabbed his hair and forced his head back, Yeonjo was only then able to lift his head properly and face the black silhouette standing at the warehouse entrance, Boss Gu.

He had been so composed the entire time he was tied up, but for some reason, upon seeing him, his body began to tremble like an aspen leaf.

“Chief, I’ve brought Hong Gihyeok.”

Just then, the warehouse door opened once more, and a man he had never seen before entered, pushing Hong Gihyeok before him. For someone who had orchestrated such a bold affair, he was caught all too easily in the grasp of Boss Gu’s underling. Hong Gihyeok, with blood spreading on his face and shoulder, looked somewhat drained of energy.

The youngest, who was holding Yeonjo hostage, was startled by the scene and shouted, gripping Yeonjo’s hair even tighter.

“Don’t move! If you mess with me, I might just kill this guy.”

Despite the thorny threat, Boss Gu did not even bat an eye.

“Hand over the boss and the documents you brought, while I’m asking nicely.”

Nevertheless, the youngest, judging that his threat had worked, demanded Hong Gihyeok and the documents.

The outside was still noisy with a mix of brutal sounds, but the inside of the warehouse was strangely silent.

Boss Gu opened his mouth after a few seconds.

“The documents are in my pocket.”

“Then you can just take them out, hand them to the boss, and release him, right?”

The youngest retorted as if it were simple.

“First, get away from Cha Yeonjo.”

“Are you trying to negotiate with me now? Do you want your boss to die?”

As if Boss Gu’s command was absurd, the youngest pressed the knife even more tightly against Yeonjo’s neck.

“I believe I told you to get away.”

Seeing that, Boss Gu spoke in the same monotone voice as before. There was no tremor in his voice.

“If you want to kill him that badly.”

The youngest pressed the sharply honed blade against Yeonjo’s white neck and pushed down deliberately. Yeonjo squeezed his eyes shut at the horrific sensation. Along with a stinging pain, the blade dug into his skin. He could feel warm blood trickling down from the wound.

Just as a drop of blood ran down Yeonjo’s nape and fell onto the warehouse floor with a plink, Boss Gu kicked the face of Gold-tooth, who was sprawled on the ground.

Thwack! With a short, concise motion, Gold-tooth’s head was completely twisted. His neck broke so instantly that Gold-tooth could not even let out a small breath and died on the spot.

Fear spread across Yeonjo’s face as he saw the dead body’s unfocused eyes. The youngest must have been just as surprised, as Yeonjo could clearly feel him trembling through the tip of the knife.

“Next is Hong Gihyeok.”

Boss Gu said in a dry voice as he snatched Hong Gihyeok from his underling, grabbing him by the nape of his neck. Then he kicked the back of his knees with the tip of his shoe, forcing Hong Gihyeok to kneel on the floor. As if the safety of Yeonjo, the hostage, was of no concern to him, there was no hesitation in his actions.

“That, that crazy bastard.”

The youngest muttered, not knowing what to do. In truth, it was closer to a monologue than something said to Boss Gu.

Watching this, Hong Gihyeok, his face pale, shouted at the youngest.

“What are you doing, you moron! Not doing as you’re told! Do you want to see me die?”

In the end, following Hong Gihyeok’s command, the youngest slowly backed away from the bound Yeonjo. Once a certain distance was established, the youngest extended his hand toward Boss Gu with a nervous expression.

“There, happy? Now, the boss and the documents. Hand them over.”

“Take them out and hand them over.”

As Boss Gu gestured with his chin, the underling standing right next to him took out a USB and a few crumpled documents from his pocket.

“After you hand this over, you go out and check the car first. If there’s no one in the driver’s seat, start it yourself and wait out front.”

Boss Gu said quietly to the underling who had approached him.

“But right now…”

“I don’t recall asking for your opinion.”

“…I understand.”

The underling, quickly accepting Boss Gu’s command, soon handed the items he had taken from his pocket to Hong Gihyeok. Then he immediately turned around, opened the door, and ran out of the warehouse.

“Oh, you poor Rags. Getting abandoned by your flunky after Cha Yeonjo?”

Hong Gihyeok, having received what he wanted, sneered as he watched the underling leave the warehouse. Not missing the fact that Boss Gu’s gaze had momentarily shifted toward the door, he swiftly grabbed a wooden club hidden between the furniture.

Then, in an instant, he swung the club and struck Boss Gu’s head.

Crack! A loud noise reverberated through the warehouse.

“Oop-mmph!”

Startled, Yeonjo tried to scream, but the sound was completely muffled by the tape covering his mouth.

Boss Gu blocked the wooden club with his bare hand. Clenching his fist, he snatched the club from Hong Gihyeok.

“Keuk!”

His surprise was brief; Hong Gihyeok tried to swing the club again, but he was no match for Boss Gu’s strength. Instead, his body was swung around here and there by Boss Gu.

Ultimately disarmed of the club, Hong Gihyeok stared at Boss Gu as if he could not believe it. And for good reason, because dozens of sharp nails were studded all over the end of the club, making the very idea of grabbing it with one’s bare hands to take it away impossible for a normal person.

Blood flowed from under Boss Gu’s black gloves, pierced by nails here and there. His expression unchanged, he flipped the club over and properly gripped the handle.

“You piece of shi…”

Now empty-handed, Hong Gihyeok stood awkwardly and backed away. Boss Gu quickly moved to follow Hong Gihyeok and swung the club at him.

“Wa, wait… Keok, eok!”

Thump! The graphic sound of a nail sinking into flesh rang out. Hong Gihyeok screamed and collapsed to the floor.

“Mmph-mmph!”

At the same time, Yeonjo’s groan from behind him caught Boss Gu’s ear. Just as he was about to turn around, leaving the fallen Hong Gihyeok,

“Yaaaaah!”

The youngest, who had been watching for an opportunity, rushed at Boss Gu with his knife. The youngest, who had leaped nimbly, plunged the short knife deep into Boss Gu’s shoulder.

“Keuk.”

Boss Gu grimaced and turned around. With the knife still embedded in his shoulder, he brought the club he was holding down on the youngest without hesitation.

Thwack! Thwack! Thump!

The nails at the end of the club dug randomly into the youngest’s head, chest, and shoulder. Blood splattered in all directions like a spray.

“Ugh… guh, kkeuk.”

The youngest made a few grotesque sounds after being hit by the club and then fell limp to the floor. His fingertips twitched a few times, and then he went completely slack. A thick smell of blood rose in the warehouse, where silence had once again descended.

Boss Gu, having thrown the club to the floor, looked so composed it was hard to believe he was a murderer who had just killed two people. There was no emotion in his eyes.

Yeonjo could not bring himself to look directly at the bloodstains scattered on the floor and turned his head away. He began to have trouble breathing due to the shock. His chest felt constricted, as if someone were stomping on it with their heel, and his breath caught in his throat.

Walking toward Yeonjo with a knife stuck in his shoulder, he looked like a monster that had crossed over from a nightmare. Gripped by fear, Yeonjo earnestly screamed for him not to come. But the sounds failed to form into meaningful words and were all swallowed back down his throat.

Yeonjo desperately pointed behind Boss Gu. Because Hong Gihyeok, staggering and persistently getting up, had taken a lighter out of his pocket.

“Hooo-eup! Eup!”

The outside was still a chaos of screams, Hong Gihyeok was standing at the entrance laughing with a lit lighter, and the smell of gasoline and blood that filled the warehouse stung his nose.

Despite all the commotion, the end of Boss Gu’s gaze was fixed only on Cha Yeonjo.

‘Farewell.’

Hong Gihyeok mouthed towards Yeonjo. Then he threw the lighter, with its bright red flame, into the warehouse. Yeonjo shook his head wildly. No.

Whoosh.

The spark that shot out from the lighter began to spread fiercely, following the trail of gasoline from the entrance.

The flickering orange light soon illuminated the dim interior. Hong Gihyeok, dragging his injured body, struggled to lock the warehouse door from the outside and left.

Thus, only the corpses, the fire, Boss Gu, and Cha Yeonjo were left in this place.

A fire. Coming full circle, it was a fire this time too.

The despair Yeonjo felt was indescribable.

Boss Gu noticed the flames belatedly but did not stop walking. Standing in front of Yeonjo, the first thing he did was tear off the tape on his mouth.

As soon as he spat out the cloth in his mouth, Yeonjo lashed out at Boss Gu as if he could not possibly understand.

“Why on earth! Why did you come!”

As if he could not hear Yeonjo’s words, he hurriedly began to untie the ropes.

However, for Yeonjo, who was vividly watching the scene of the flames spreading rapidly behind Boss Gu’s back, he could not just wait calmly. The fire was already starting to catch on the furniture. It was only a matter of time before the entire warehouse was engulfed in flames.

The sight of Boss Gu’s expressionless demeanor even in this situation made Yeonjo’s heart ache.

“Turn around and leave, even now. You can get out.”

Yeonjo pushed at Boss Gu, telling him to leave. Yet, when the other man showed no intention of opening his tightly shut mouth, Yeonjo wet his own dry lower lip with his tongue. Perhaps because he had bled so much when he bit his tongue, the taste of blood was strong every time he moved his lips.

“Stop it! Just turn around and go! Cough, cough… You can’t untie this anyway.”

“Shut up.”

Boss Gu snapped. When the tightly tied knot wouldn’t come undone no matter how much he fumbled with his hands, his brow furrowed faintly. He soon took off his gloves and grabbed the rope with his bare hands. His large hands, bleeding from the nail wounds, moved hastily.

As smoke began to spread, Yeonjo started coughing like mad. With each cough, his lungs contracted, accompanied by excruciating pain.

Fire again. What a fitting end for him. But not for Boss Gu. This should not be happening to him again.

Yeonjo gritted his teeth, suppressing short, ragged coughs that made it hard to even breathe. In the meantime, Boss Gu, as if he had thought of something, stopped trying to untie the rope and began to feel around his own shoulder.

Soon, he pulled out the knife that was embedded in his own shoulder blade. And then, with the knife he had pulled from his body, he began to cut the rope.

It happened so quickly that Yeonjo, at a loss for words, opened and closed his mouth several times.

“You, you’re really insane. Why on earth…!”

Yeonjo stopped talking when he noticed that Boss Gu’s hands were trembling. He could no longer remember what he was about to say.

Boss Gu, with uncharacteristically clumsy movements, was holding the knife and cutting the rope. But as Hong Gihyeok’s underling had said, the rope was so strong that it would not cut easily even with a knife blade.

The sight of Boss Gu, clenching his jaw in concentration, was driving Yeonjo crazy. This whole process. Himself and the reality that had burdened him with misfortune and driven him to the brink of death until now. And this moment, facing him in the flames once again.

Yeonjo suppressed his coughs and tried to persuade Boss Gu.

“Give up and go. There’s no need for this. For me… this is right. I’m probably finally getting what I deserve.”

“I told you to shut up!”

Boss Gu shouted, his face pale like a cornered man. Seeing him, Yeonjo’s eyes widened and he gasped. Boss Gu had a look of fear he had never seen before.

Behind him, flames larger than before shot up in succession. It seemed the gasoline had luckily run out for a moment in front of Yeonjo, but as long as he was tied here, the flames would soon consume his body anyway.

“Why didn’t you run away when the ropes were loose. If you had escaped then, this wouldn’t have happened!”

As Boss Gu accused him irritably, the events of just a few dozen minutes ago flashed through Yeonjo’s mind.

Ah. Back then. So it was Boss Gu’s side that had intervened after all. There was no way the ropes would have loosened on their own. The sudden brawl among the underlings might have also been part of Boss Gu’s plan to draw their attention.

But just like now, he had had no feeling in his legs back then either. Ever since that day, after entering the flame-engulfed building, the muscle tissue in the soles of his feet had been damaged and had never fully recovered, always causing trouble like this.

Even in this urgent situation, Yeonjo resented Boss Gu for yelling at him indiscriminately without even knowing the full story. It was a sad and ridiculous thing.

“You’re the one who shouldn’t be so stubborn. Ugh… You’ve done enough. Just leave me and go! Cough, cough! You… you shouldn’t have come here. I won’t resent you, so just get out now. Just let me die!”

“…”

Although the words were blurted out in a fit of emotion, they were all sincere. At that, Boss Gu stared at Yeonjo with an expression that could not be described by any word. The consistently cold man was nowhere to be seen, and in his place was a man looking at Yeonjo with a face as if someone were strangling him.

Due to the heat that had spread before they knew it, sweat beaded on both of their foreheads to the point of being damp. The temperature in the warehouse rose, and with every breath, hot air entered and clung to their lungs. Yeonjo even felt dizzy, as if there was a lack of oxygen.

Like this, he himself was already done for. So he should just give up and leave. I am no longer the older brother from the orphanage who could carry you and run; why are you looking at me with such terrified eyes.

“To just let me die?”

“…”

“That I should not have come here?”

He suddenly stopped the motion of cutting the rope. His hands were still trembling.

“Yes…”

Yeonjo barely swallowed a sob and looked down at his hand, which was covered in burn scars and blood.

“Is that all you have to say?”

“Yes.”

“Why.”

“…”

“Why, Cha Yeonjo, you… why do you not choose me even once? Just once! Even just one time!”

Boss Gu suddenly cried out, overwhelmed with fury. The resentment he had suppressed in his chest for so long erupted as if it were an explosion.

Yeonjo was at a loss for words for a moment. His mind went blank, and no thoughts came to him.

“Ah…”

And what woke Yeonjo from that state of panic was the sound of the burning furniture crashing down with a loud bang! The flames were already flickering, on the verge of catching onto the piano to which Yeonjo was tied.

“Go. Get out, even now! This time it might not end with just burns! Cough, cough… Hah, you know because you were there too, how horrific it is… Don’t you know even after experiencing it then?”

“…How do you know there was a fire then.”

Boss Gu asked back with a dazed face. Yeonjo, who had been shouting urgently, stopped speaking with a look of realization.

“That day. Were you there?”

“…”

“Did you come back?”

Boss Gu asked, grabbing Yeonjo’s shoulders.

“Did you come to get me.”

His face looked desperate, as if being in the middle of a blaze mattered not in the slightest.

Yeonjo realized belatedly that he had made a slip of the tongue. Boss Gu did not know that he had gone back to the building that day.

On the brink of death, bringing up such a faded story now would change nothing. It would have been better for Boss Gu if he had remained a wicked connection who had abandoned him. He had been nothing but foolish until the very end.

“Tell me. Tell me, hyung.”

“…”

“Yeonjo hyung, please… You didn’t abandon me?”

Boss Gu barely squeezed the words out from his choked throat.

At the crumbling plea, Yeonjo could no longer hold back his tears. What should he say. He could not decide whether to confess the truth now, or to lie until the end.

Perhaps because of the toxic gas, it was gradually becoming difficult to hold onto consciousness. Yeonjo, instinctively feeling that there was not much time left, finally nodded his head painfully.

“I went. To find you.”

It was because he could feel that he wanted this answer so desperately.

“Ah.”

“I went, but no matter how much I searched the room, keol-leok, keol-leok! You… weren’t there…”

“Ah… Ah… Aaaah.”

It felt as if his lungs were being torn out. Now, every breath was as agonizing as swallowing hundreds of blades. Before he knew it, blood was slowly rising from his throat.

Yeonjo knew the reason well. He remembered the doctor’s warning when he was young, that he would completely lose his lung function if he inhaled toxic gas again.

“Go now, please.”

Suppressing his coughs, Yeonjo spoke as coldly as possible.

“Anyway, I… I can’t live even if I get out now.”

“What does that mean.”

“That day… my lungs were ruined, so here, haah… even if I get out of here, I can’t live any longer anyway! Keut, cough, cough, cough! Even now, my breath… heok.”

Gush. Thick blood flowed back up his windpipe. Clots of bright red blood poured out from between Yeonjo’s lips.

“Your lungs were ruined? That day?”

“Yes. I also… I also, ever since that day, have been continuously… Because of that incident… euk! Keok…!”

“…”

“I just, shouldn’t have gone in. I regret it. Look, even now… Because of you, I…! Because of me, you…”

No, I shouldn’t have left you alone that day. I should have gotten out with you no matter what.

Every day, every moment, I regretted it. Yeonjo could no longer produce a voice and could only barely move his lips. His vision was blurred with tears, so he could not see Boss Gu’s expression clearly.

His eyes kept wanting to close, and the sounds that had been so sharp in his ears were rapidly fading away.

I may not have been as much as you, but I was in agony too. Would it be too selfish of me to say that in front of you.

Yeonjo now truly wanted to rest.

From some point on, a lukewarm liquid began to drip onto his face. Yeonjo strained his eyes to see Boss Gu’s expression. However, he could no longer put any strength into any part of his body. Even a single finger, even his eyelids, had become stiff as if they were not part of his own body.

Rough and bumpy hands repeatedly caressed Yeonjo’s cheek, forehead, neck, and then his arm. There was not a single soft spot on them, but perhaps because his senses had now grown dull, they felt softer and finer than ever before.

Boss Gu held onto Yeonjo and shouted something, but Yeonjo could no longer hold the voice he wanted to hear in his ears and slowly closed his eyes.