Yang’s Master Chapter 2.2 - Liar

It was a nonchalant voice. It was a light question, as if asking something like, “Did you sleep well last night?” or “Have you eaten today?” Amy, who had been sobbing, abruptly lifted her head. Reading the sense of wrongness that had settled over the street, the woman’s hand scratched at the ground.

“Haven’t you been here for over a year? It’s about time, isn’t it?”

“I heard his fights with customers in Yirang have been getting serious lately.”

“Don’t you think he got into a physical fight?”

“Hey, a physical fight? Does that pharmacist fellow even have the guts to fight with that body of his?”

A few people who knew Yang Euijoo chattered amongst themselves, laughing. Listening to the idle talk, which could have been insults or mockery, he let out a sigh. Amy still had a stupid expression on her face, as if she could not understand this whole situation. Yang Euijoo did not comfort her.

“You two haven’t been in Yirang for very long, have you?”

“……”

Amy opened her mouth. No words came out. Looking at her face as she sucked in a sharp breath, Yang Euijoo clicked his tongue.

“Saying things like you’ll work for free if they take you on as an assistant is the perfect way to get stabbed. They’ll kill you, thinking you’re a government snitch who came to report them.”

Should he have warned them?

But it really was not Yang Euijoo’s fault. He had just been sleeping the whole time.

“So.”

Tears fell ceaselessly. With bloodshot eyes, the woman muttered with a vacant face.

“It’s only natural that he died?”

“……”

Although they say nothing in the world is a given, there were times in Yirang when things became natural. The death of a stranger was nothing more than a happening that woke you from your morning sleep. No one reacted to the death of the man named Peter. Only then did Amy notice the strangeness of this street. Everyone was more annoyed by the commotion that disturbed their morning sleep than by the death of a person they did not even know, or the tragedy resulting from it.

“Are you even human?”

Amy cursed with all her might. It was as if blood burst from her frail cry.

“You be cursed too! This land, and you!”

Yang Euijoo replied calmly.

“This is a place where only cursed bastards come anyway.”

Yirang did not welcome outsiders. It was a street where it would not be strange for one to become a living sacrifice and be burned at any moment. Yang Euijoo furrowed his brows. An unsettling rain began to fall.

Having experienced the tumultuous dawn incident, he accepted Mr. Chui’s suggestion to stop by for a cup of tea and headed to the dental clinic instead of his house.

“You’ve had a rough morning.”

Yang Euijoo looked at Mr. Chui, who was good-naturedly serving him hot tea even though Yang Euijoo had cleaned out all his snacks and water. While waiting for the boiling hot tea water to cool, Yang Euijoo gazed at the rain-drenched street. Amy remained in the same spot even after people lost interest in the trivial matter and scattered.

The street, which had been seething with a mixture of dust and heat, cooled down in an instant. He could see several houses putting out large barrels. The rainwater would be used for laundry. On a hazy day with heavy rain like today, airplanes would not fly either. The entirety of Yirang sank into a deep silence.

Peter was found dead in an alley not far from the pharmacy. The man, who still bore the marks of Linlin’s punches, died tightly clutching a notepad in one hand and a pen in the other. Word was that he seemed to have died after being hit hard in the head a few times. Few people knew Peter. They were said to be a young, newlywed couple who had recently moved to the main street. It seemed they had some debt after being scammed. That must be why they tried to learn a trade in Yirang instead of an ordinary city. It was an act that showed just how empty Peter’s head was.

Even after hearing the security patrol explain that a guy bigger and taller than Peter had killed her husband, Amy did not move. Yang Euijoo was a little shorter than Peter and did not have enough strength to kill him by striking his head from a position higher than his own height. The alley security patrol, who were sick and tired of seeing dead people, sent Yang Euijoo away as if there was nothing more to see.

Mr. Chui sat down in front of Yang Euijoo, clicking his tongue.

“The bets on this one won’t be any fun. Everyone was wondering when you’d finally cause some trouble.”

“Is it because life is so shitty? They sure are trying to live interestingly.”

“You come back after being away for a while and your insults are quite…”

Making a fed-up expression, Mr. Chui shook his head. The old man looked at the pretty man who remained unshaken even after experiencing a rather harsh event. When a new person suddenly moved into the chimney house, which had only been used for cleaning up a few bodies, he had thought, “I wonder how many months it will take for that punk to starve to death,” but he had lasted the longest. Mr. Chui slyly averted his gaze from the face that did not know how to look at people kindly.

The dental clinic, with no customers, was silent. A pungent smell of disinfectant, which had not been properly diluted, wafted through the air. It also felt like the smell of preserving a body that would not decay. Yang Euijoo took a sip of the bitter tea.

The tea was still hot even though it had cooled down a bit. The tea, which slightly warmed the roof of his mouth, went down his throat. As the warm liquid entered his body, a little warmth spread through his tense body. Letting the water droplets falling from under his hair soak his shoulders, Yang Euijoo looked up at the ceiling. A mayfly was circling around the light fixture.

“Are they that curious about killing people?”

“Everyone gets curious when a new person arrives.”

“Are you curious too, old man?”

“Ahem.”

Unable to bring himself to lie, Mr. Chui just clicked his tongue, and Yang Euijoo let out a faint laugh. Whether it was a man over 70 or a punk of 30, they were all equally interested in seeing a person get ruined. Yang Euijoo put down the cup, shot up to his feet, and arbitrarily rummaged through Mr. Chui’s drawer.

“Hey, you punk!”

Ignoring Mr. Chui’s roar, Yang Euijoo finally found the cigarettes cleverly hidden in a gap in the drawer.

“How on earth do you know I hide them there?”

To the flabbergasted Mr. Chui, Yang Euijoo replied brazenly.

“I went through your stuff when you weren’t here, sir. How else would I know?”

“…You may not have killed anyone, but you’re a more terrible bastard.”

“Don’t make me laugh.”

Just because he did not kill Peter, how could he have the naive thought that he had never once killed someone before? In a way, the people of Yirang were the most free of prejudice. Yang Euijoo immediately put a cigarette in his mouth and, instead of a lighter or a match, lit the alcohol lamp set up next to the kettle to light his cigarette. For lighting just one cigarette, an excessive flame flickered with a blue fire in front of his nose, as if it would burn his entire face.

“It’s not like only murderers live here, so I don’t know why everyone is so curious about other people’s crimes.”

“It’s because you’re a newcomer.”

Yang Euijoo stood leaning against the drawer and looked at Mr. Chui. Seeing his face that showed no understanding at all, Mr. Chui swept the back of his wrinkled hand and spoke.

“Do you think the guys who’ve lived here for 10, 20 years would be like that? It’s because there hasn’t been a single decent one among the recent arrivals, so they’re curious. Whether they came here after killing someone, or ran away after cheating someone, or came here wanting to kill someone.”

“Why don’t you suggest we officially make it a den of criminals.”

“They already call it that on the outside.”

There was nothing to say. Since it was already being called a den of criminals, Yang Euijoo lost even the will to argue about becoming an actual criminal organization. Instead, he freely smoked the cigarettes that Mr. Chui had carefully hidden away. Having lost his precious luxury item that was turning to ash, Mr. Chui looked at Yang Euijoo with a very regretful face. Yang Euijoo furrowed his brows, then pulled out a dollar bill he felt in his pocket and held it out.

“Buy a new pack. It’s not like buying cigarettes is that hard for you anyway, old man.”

Yang Euijoo received a lot of attention. If a shabbily living pharmacist suddenly bought expensive things like cigarettes or alcohol, it was obvious that there would be gossip. Chui knew that too. The old man looked at the face that was still as youthful as a twenty-year-old’s, then got up from the sofa and took the dollar bill. The number 50 was written on the dollar. Chui finally asked the question he had been guessing at since the day Yang Euijoo disappeared.

“Did you sleep with Cheon Yeomyung?”

“Wow.”

Yang Euijoo could not hold back a hollow laugh. He took the cigarette he was savoring from his mouth for a moment, gathered the smoke, and exhaled it all at once.

“Why, because you think the bastard who acted all high and mighty, saying he wouldn’t sell his body even if it meant starving to death for two years, finally caved? Does it look like I’ve found my true calling?”

“They should pull out your tongue and use it as a bell.”

At Chui’s words, his face wrinkled in condemnation, Yang Euijoo burst out laughing. Well, since he had no education, it was only natural for him to speak in a disagreeable way. How many nice guys could there be here anyway? In a place where people made bets on others killing people.

“First, to answer your question, I didn’t sleep with him.”

As soon as he heard Yang Euijoo’s words, Mr. Chui’s face was filled with unconcealed doubt.

“He’s not the type of man to do that.”

“The type of man to do what, what on earth were you thinking?”

“Well, I thought you were gone for a month and a half having a grand time banging in some villa. When you came back, your face was so shiny and glowing that I thought, after tasting a man you must have…”

Mr. Chui, who had been rambling on, quickly shut his mouth when he saw Yang Euijoo just smiling brightly.

“Why? Keep going. It’s fucking interesting.”

Yang Euijoo, with a face that said he wanted to press the lit end of his cigarette onto Mr. Chui’s tongue, kicked the leg of the table. thud, thud

“I said keep going?”

“…No, ahem.”

“You thought I was gone for a month because I was banging some guy. What’s next?”

“Is there a next part?”

Mr. Chui trailed off. His face, which already didn’t seem to have a good personality, was etched with contempt, as if he were thoroughly offended. Yang Euijoo, who had answered the security patrol’s questions while being drenched in the sudden downpour since dawn, was soaked from head to toe. In an outfit that would have surely given him a cold if the weather hadn’t warmed up, he slowly put a new cigarette to his lips. His hazy, ash-colored hair, resembling the color of cigarette ash, swayed with his movements. With a few strands of hair stuck to his cheek, Yang Euijoo parted his lips.

That punk’s looks are certainly Cheon Yeomyung’s type… Mr. Chui sipped his now-cold tea, nursing a cheap and vulgar curiosity about why Cheon Yeomyung had not eaten Yang Euijoo yet.

“It’s true I was indebted to him, but I was sick in bed, so I had no time for sex.”

In the end, Yang Euijoo himself resolved his curiosity. Thinking of the man who had made a blatant offer yet pretended to be quite cautious about touching him, Yang Euijoo exhaled a puff of smoke in annoyance.

“I haven’t been able to meet him since then, so unfortunately, I’m still a virgin.”

To think I’m saying this crap with my own mouth. Yang Euijoo spat out a curse as if annoyed.

“Why. You want to try and sell me too, old man?”

“I have no desire to be killed by Cheon Yeomyung.”

Mr. Chui jumped up from his seat, proclaiming his innocence. Yang Euijoo gave up on weighing whether it was good or bad for it to be known that he had a relationship with Cheon Yeomyung. No matter how hard he tried to figure out the pros and cons, everything would flow as that handsome, annoying man wanted.

“That guy often found lovers here. Despite being a pretty-boy master type, he surprisingly wasn’t picky about his partners.”

Still holding the empty teacup and watching Yang Euijoo’s expression, Mr. Chui muttered. Yang Euijoo, holding the cigarette from which he had not flicked the ash, stared at Mr. Chui.

“After they slept with that man, they all became his lovers.”

“…Don’t tell me you were a lover too. You’re not about to say something that disgusting, are you?”

When Yang Euijoo, who had lost his taste for the cigarette, asked sourly, Chui waved his hands with a nauseated expression. The old man raised his voice for the first time in a while and screeched.

“That guy’s standards are so high! Absolutely not me! He wouldn’t eat an old geezer like me even if I was served up naked!”

“……”

“No, don’t look at me like that. It’s just an expression.”

Mr. Chui quickly became discouraged and hung his head. He pulled over the mug that Yang Euijoo had left after one sip, poured its contents into his own cup, and cleared his throat.

“About that guy, Peter, who died.”

“What about him.”

Finding it difficult to grasp the scattered context, Yang Euijoo finally flicked his cigarette, letting the heavy ash fall, and replied.

“Don’t you think Cheon Yeomyung killed him?”

A piece of ash holding a spark fell powerlessly to the floor and shattered as if screaming.

The sound of the rain was harsh. It beat against the window as if to break it. Yang Euijoo, feeling the sound was too loud, glanced back at the window like a frightened animal. The yellow eyes that seemed like they could be knocking on the window at any moment, dressed in black, were not there. Yang Euijoo forgot everything he was about to say and stared at Chui. Mr. Chui, as if afraid, could not meet his eyes and was looking down.

“What are you talking about?”

“That…”

Chui hesitated. It felt as if a man with golden eyes would appear right now, grab him by the neck, and crush his tongue. It was a formless fear, as if realizing that everyone living in Yirang was indebted to Cheon Yeomyung.

“Cheon Yeomyung, he hates losing out.”

It was a long time before Mr. Chui spoke again. The rain was falling so hard that nothing could be seen outside the window. Yang Euijoo stared at the gray-smudged outdoors and asked.

“I said, what are you talking about?”

“He also doesn’t like it when something of his is touched by someone else. It’s a given if it’s a lover.”

The old man’s leg trembled violently. How could he not know Cheon Yeomyung? Having worked at the dental clinic for a long time, Chui had seen many things. Since Cheon Yeomyung remembered his name, there were many times he had to do minor clean-ups. He was acquainted with his subordinates and his former lovers.

“But strangely, after they broke up, all of Cheon Yeomyung’s lovers ended up in a state worse than prostitutes.”

Chui frowned and picked out one or two who first came to mind. The first to come to mind was a woman with the funny name Jelly. The woman became his lover around the time Cheon Yeomyung was making a name for himself in Yirang. Jelly considered it a point of pride that she had become the mistress of a handsome, wealthy man. She became haughty. She showed off the earrings and necklaces Cheon Yeomyung bought her, flaunted her new clothes, and acted superior.

It was not good behavior. The longer Jelly’s boasting went on, the more people became jealous of her. Jealousy led to anger. Jelly’s end was not good. Cheon Yeomyung showed no reaction even upon seeing the dead body of Jelly. Instead, he expressed regret. Being sad or pitiful was different from regretting.

Another woman became Cheon Yeomyung’s mistress. When Cheon Yeomyung became neglectful of her, that woman threw herself from a building rooftop. But somehow, the appearance of the person who had jumped was strange. There were signs of resistance, as if she had struggled.

Next, a man became his mistress. The man swaggered around, boasting that one could buy Cheon Yeomyung’s goods cheaply through him. It was later revealed that the man had been stealing goods from the warehouse behind Cheon Yeomyung’s back and selling them. Cheon Yeomyung personally punished the man he called his ‘lover.’ And yet, people did not come to their senses. Once they learned that Cheon Yeomyung did not discriminate by gender, any pretty or handsome punk was desperate to stand by his side.

Cheon Yeomyung willingly took them as lovers if necessary. But of those called lovers, a few left Yirang altogether, and most became lives whose fates were unknown.

Those with some sense figured out how Cheon Yeomyung treated his lovers. But who would point a finger at that murderous man? Silence was better than having your corpse hung up on the street. Mr. Chui was one of those who chose silence.

“What does that have to do with Peter?”

“He touched you, didn’t he.”

“Can you even call that touching?”

All Peter did was grab Yang Euijoo and beg to be taken on as an assistant. Yang Euijoo still could not grasp the cause and effect.

“In Cheon Yeomyung’s eyes, it was read as him wanting to get close to you.”

Mr. Chui raised a crooked finger and pointed at Yang Euijoo. A creepy feeling washed over him. Yang Euijoo blinked, feeling as though he could vividly hear Linda’s warning.

“That man uses his lovers as his substitutes. He deliberately shows them off to others and uses them as flypaper to pick out those who hold hostility towards him. But in that situation, what happens if an assistant gets involved? He was trying to catch a fly, but another one got stuck. Daring to be next to someone who is Cheon Yeomyung’s lover?”

“……”

“Every time Cheon Yeomyung took a lover, he was at war with someone.”

“…What.”

Yang Euijoo rubbed his face with a sour feeling. An ominous premonition pressed down on his chest, making it feel stuffy.

“I’m not his lover yet. But I did receive a similar offer, so am I his lover? I’m not sure.”

“Pharmacist, sir. Are you trying to play with words?”

“I’m not trying to play with words either.”

Did the man who said the results of his choice would not lead to an unjust outcome truly speak only the truth? Feeling suffocated, Yang Euijoo put a third cigarette to his lips. His hand trembled slightly. The alcohol lamp was almost out of fuel and did not light properly. It spewed a pungent smell a few times before finally catching fire. Yang Euijoo hurriedly lit his cigarette and took a long drag of smoke.

A desperate sigh burst inward, as if he could only breathe through that.

“I know, too.”

He was not talking to Mr. Chui. Feeling cold sweat run down his spine, Yang Euijoo looked at the floor. The floor, tangled with a few cigarette butts and ash, was filthy. It did not suit a clinic.

“You think that man would really treat me well out of pure kindness? His intentions are so obvious, I’m not having some crazy delusion.”

From their very first meeting, Cheon Yeomyung had demanded the ledger. After reading the customer records, he had also given a command disguised as a request to let him know if someone from Reddoor came looking. He had saved him because he judged him to be of value. He bought him an expensive meal and offered him money in front of a restaurant employee he had never seen before. If he had intended to treat him as an ordinary lover, Cheon Yeomyung would not have given Yang Euijoo money.

Yang Euijoo was not a lover but a mistress, and even calling him a mistress was meaningless since they had not yet had any kind of relationship. He was just involved with a crazy bastard who kept a mistress for the purpose of killing people. Yang Euijoo squeezed his eyes shut and sucked on the cigarette.

A sudden gust of wind slammed against the old building as if to smash it. BANG. Mr. Chui screamed and collapsed on the sofa. Yang Euijoo ran to the window and threw it open. creak The wind and rain from outside instantly rushed in. His whole body got wet. It was a typhoon that would bring an end to summer, and there was no one there.

It was only natural for there to be no one outside in this weather.

“Is, is that man here?”

Chui crawled behind the sofa to hide, trembling. Yang Euijoo, with a cigarette in his mouth, answered in a mumble.

“…No.”

The distinct footprints outside the window were heading somewhere.

“There’s no one here.”

The messily imprinted footprints right below the window were clearly not Cheon Yeomyung’s. Looking at the small footprints, so clear that even the shape of the toes was visible, Yang Euijoo muttered.

There’s no one here.

But the timid Mr. Chui would not go outside until the rain stopped, no matter how much Yang Euijoo tried to soothe him. The muddy, sticky ground would be evenly flattened by the pouring rain. As compensation for the mess in his clinic, Yang Euijoo gave Mr. Chui a 50-dollar bill and returned to his chimney house.

Soaked to the bone from being unable to avoid the rain, he looked at his front gate. The bloodstains on the nameplate had not quite washed away and were spotted here and there. Yang Euijoo rubbed the wooden board with the back of his hand. The red color spread faintly like a bruise, then soon faded.

A squelching sound came from behind him. A knife? Or a hammer? Yang Euijoo thought of the weapons commonly available in Yirang and turned his head.

“I said it wasn’t me who killed him…”

“Hm? Sir, did you kill someone?”

A clear voice rang out. Yang Euijoo stopped mid-sentence and flinched. A man holding a black long-handled umbrella was smiling with an amused expression. The rain poured down. Yang Euijoo, feeling the rain beat down on his face, looked at the man.

“…Cheon Yeomyung.”

“Are we on a first-name basis now? I’m happy.”

Cheon Yeomyung smiled and took a step toward Yang Euijoo. The man, dressed in black from head to toe again today, revealed his presence like a grim reaper in the surroundings where nothing could be distinguished due to the rain. In the thick, misty rain, his golden eyes shone coolly. He looked like a lone ghost floating in mid-air.

“So, did you kill someone, Pharmacist, sir?”

The man kindly bent down to Yang Euijoo’s level and asked. It was a light tone. It sounded as if he were genuinely asking if he had done such a commendable thing, so Yang Euijoo shook his head.

“No, I did not.”

“That’s a relief. If you had killed someone, I was wondering how I should handle it.”

Had he really been wondering? Urgently escaping the sudden doubt that arose, Yang Euijoo turned his back on the man right in front of him. The arm that gripped the doorknob was trembling terribly. Yang Euijoo could not even tell what expression was on his face and thought it was a relief to be drenched in the rain. Hoping that the sharp-edged man would not read his fear, he fumbled in his pocket.

“What brings you here? You said you’d be busy for a while.”

“Ah, I suddenly got some free time.”

“I see…”

Yang Euijoo did not know what he was even saying. He just tried to find the key in his cluttered pocket, push it into the keyhole, and turn it. The doorknob, with its slightly rusted and nearly broken end, would only let the key in if it was aligned perfectly with the loose gap. After a few tries of pushing in the key that kept missing its mark, fumbling with the rattling handle over and over, something cold and chilled suddenly grabbed his arm.

Perhaps because he was on edge after too many things had happened today, Yang Euijoo made a mistake. The key flew in an arc through the air and fell into the muddy puddle. With his lips parted, he gasped without realizing it. Cheon Yeomyung looked at his own hand that had been roughly slapped away, as if amused, then bent down and picked up the key for him.

“You’ve heard something, haven’t you?”

Cheon Yeomyung whispered, his face already showing that he had noticed something. At the low voice, Yang Euijoo felt a pain as if his foot had been cut.

Never had the golden eyes seemed so eerie as they did today. It might be because of the rain. It might be because he had heard a story that made him a little on edge…

Or it might be because his intuition was telling him that all of it was true. But Yang Euijoo had long since given up on asking about any truth. Living like a deaf person was not because he was a fool. Yang Euijoo hoped the man would not notice his faintly trembling body, but Cheon Yeomyung was not merciful. An umbrella was cast over his already drenched body.

“What did they say? That I’m a monster, or not even human?”

Yang Euijoo, his face covered by the black shadow, looked at Cheon Yeomyung. Even in a situation like this, the man’s face was beautiful, without a single flaw.

“Or was it that all my lovers meet a terrible end?”

Yang Euijoo let out a weak breath. His body was too wet. He felt like he would catch a cold. Seeing Yang Euijoo, who had been chattering away just fine until now, suddenly become as heavy as if he were holding a thousand pieces of gold in his mouth, Cheon Yeomyung lifted the corners of his lips into a smile.

“Euijoo-ya.”

A voice like an angel’s called to Yang Euijoo.

“I like that you’re obsessed with money.”

Yang Euijoo blinked. It was the first time he had heard the man speak like this. The man, who spoke with the polite tone of a businessman, did not seem like someone involved in a vulgar and dangerous business. But for today, strangely, he spoke in a short and light tone, as if he were addressing a lover he was truly close to and fond of.

“I don’t think it’s bad that you’re struggling to live like a human being.”

A hand in a leather glove swept back his wet hair. His face, to which the dirty, ash-colored hair that looked like it would drip lye water clung, was a mess, terrified.

Cheon Yeomyung paused, wondering what more to say, then for now, he took Yang Euijoo’s hand. Yang Euijoo’s fingertips were stiffly frozen, but this time, he did not pull away.

“Having ambition is always a good thing.”

Cheon Yeomyung praised Yang Euijoo and gripped his hand tightly. If he were rejected one more time, he might have gotten genuinely angry and killed Yang Euijoo. That would be too much of a waste. He thought of the value that encompassed impulse or anger. Cheon Yeomyung had already invested too much in Yang Euijoo.

“You are quite smart…”

Yang Euijoo could not say anything. With his lips pressed firmly together, he stood blankly like a person who had lost the ability to speak, just listening to Cheon Yeomyung’s story. Cheon Yeomyung explained as if he had heard the entire conversation between Yang Euijoo and Mr. Chui. At some point, Yang Euijoo found himself under his umbrella. The umbrella, held over him after he was already soaked, was not serving its purpose.

“I don’t parade my lovers around carelessly to others.”

Then, what was the reason for casting aside so many lovers? As if he had read Yang Euijoo’s question, Cheon Yeomyung answered kindly.

“Betrayal usually comes from the closest ones. I’m just a wounded man.”

The shining eyes curved beautifully. The man, putting on a fake expression of loneliness, spoke a lie as if it were the most natural truth.

“The matter with that man, Peter, isn’t it just a simple tragedy?”

Things like that are so common here, Cheon Yeomyung said. Yang Euijoo could not say anything. He was scared of the man. But this time, too, he could not choose.

What if he were to declare right now that he would have no relationship with him whatsoever? Whose body would be discovered this dawn?

After a very brief moment of thought, Yang Euijoo asked.

“Are we lovers?”

“We will surely become so one day, but for now, shall we say we’re in the getting-to-know-each-other stage?”

Cheon Yeomyung replied cheerfully, as if a slight postponement was fine. Yang Euijoo could not help but let out a little bit of annoyance through his lips.

“What about my consent?”

Ah. Cheon Yeomyung replied nonchalantly, as if he had heard something peculiar.

“It will turn out as I wish anyway.”

“……”

“Is there any reason for you to hesitate, Pharmacist, sir?”

It was a declaration that they would not be able to communicate on this matter. He decided not to agree or argue with the arrogant man’s words. Yang Euijoo was terribly tired today to assert his pride over something like that, nor was he in a position befitting such an assertion.

Cheon Yeomyung looked up at the sky for a moment. Obstructed by the umbrella, he tilted his hand slightly, and a dark gray sky came into view. It was a similar color to Yang Euijoo. Yang Euijoo, drenched in rain, also looked like a drowned rat.

“While we’re at it, should we just start dating?”

Yang Euijoo had heard confessions to date or propositions to sleep together a hundred times in his life. But he could not help but think that the words thrown at him by a rich, first-class customer lost in vanity were better sounding and more romantic than this.

“You don’t like it? If you need flowers or a ring, you can say so.”

Cheon Yeomyung continued to speak in a tone that did not much consider Yang Euijoo’s refusal. Yang Euijoo suspected that all rich guys who dabbled in illegal activities were this insane and selfish.

“Then what about breaking up?”

“Right after we start dating?”

“It could happen. If we’re not a good match.”

At the cold words, Cheon Yeomyung tilted his head. His golden eyes sparkled with interest.

“It hurts my feelings if you think about breaking up from the start.”

It was a statement that made him want to scoff. Yang Euijoo lost even the mood to respond to the shameless words and just looked at Cheon Yeomyung.

“Was it really not you who killed Peter?”

“Hmm.”

He learned that a handsome man looks good even with a troubled expression. Yang Euijoo briefly stared at the appearance that seemed to shine even within the hazy downpour, which felt like it was coated in gray dust. His face looked overly sincere in the rain and did not suit the grim confession.

“To be honest, I was planning to kill him. But it wasn’t me.”

“……”

“At least for this incident, I’m innocent.”

Cheon Yeomyung beamed. The reason he was so generous about this incident was that some idiot had caused trouble before he had to do the tiresome work himself. Thanks to that, he had conveniently achieved what he wanted. Yang Euijoo had been caught in a troublesome misunderstanding, but that much would be cleared up soon. It was also his preference to see a somewhat annoyed and sharp face rather than a pale, drenched one trembling in fear.

Raindrops fell to the ground. Looking down at Yang Euijoo, who was as wet as if he had walked out of the deep sea, Cheon Yeomyung shook the umbrella that had been catching the heavy raindrops. drip, drip, drip A stream of water cascaded down, soiling his pant cuffs. This is why he did not want to come to Yirang on rainy days. Even while thinking it was a bother, Cheon Yeomyung did not leave Yang Euijoo alone and depart. He was always an affectionate and kind man to his lovers.

“You’re too wet. You should dry yourself off.”

“Where…”

As he spoke, Cheon Yeomyung was heading in the complete opposite direction of the house. Yang Euijoo staggered as he watched them move further away from the chimney house. The narrow and steep house, thinner than a stream of rain, quickly disappeared from view.

“Boss!”

A familiar face appeared on the street that was the last possible point for a car to enter. Cheon Yeomyung did not give any of them a glance and pushed Yang Euijoo into the car. Before he could fold the heavy umbrella himself, his subordinates took it and handled it. The trunk opened, and the wet umbrella was tossed in with a thud, making the car rock once. thump, thump

As if they had sensed something unusual, no one asked anything. Seated in the car, Cheon Yeomyung gave the order to return. Roserock, who was behind the wheel, drove carefully, making sure not to look at the back seat through the rearview mirror even by mistake. It was raining like a bitch.

Yang Euijoo could not hide his pale complexion. Water dripped, dirtying the inside of the car. No words came out, as if a wet newspaper had been shoved down his throat. Roserock did not ask anything, but he was the most perceptive. He was not just a right-hand man, but both legs as well. Cheon Yeomyung checked where Roserock had stopped the car and got out swiftly without a word. The place where the car had stopped had a huge roof, so an umbrella was not needed. Yang Euijoo, dripping wet, followed Cheon Yeomyung’s instruction to get out and was soon grabbed by his hand again and led somewhere.

The building was large, but no sound could be heard. Occasionally, people came into view, but they lowered their gazes before their eyes could even meet Yang Euijoo’s. Soon, Yang Euijoo walked up a staircase and was only able to properly take in the scenery after entering a room with a large, magnificent door.

It was a room that looked like a drawing-room. There was a tea table with elegant carvings, a sofa, and chairs, and in the middle of the table was a vase of white roses. Instead of saying anything, Cheon Yeomyung pointed to a small door inside the room and said.

“For now, it would be best to wash up.”

“Excuse me…”

“Surely I don’t need to teach you how to wash up as well, do I?”

The man asked with a gentlemanly smile. It was a resolute attitude, as if he would not say another word until Yang Euijoo came out after washing. Instead of asking where this place was, Yang Euijoo did as Cheon Yeomyung told him. He opened the door that seemed like it would not break no matter how hard he knocked on it and entered the bathroom. And he barely managed to hold back the curse that was about to burst out from sheer shock. The bathroom was different from the ordinary ones Yang Euijoo imagined. It even looked like a well-decorated indoor swimming pool.

He saw walls and a bathtub decorated with shining marble and blue tiles. The bathtub was so big that, with a little exaggeration, it seemed one could swim in it. He did not mean to compare it to his own house, where he washed by filling a large basin with water, but it was on a different level. I could live here. Yang Euijoo looked around the bathroom, which was bigger than a decent house, and took off his wet clothes one by one. He needed a moment to think about where to put his clothes. It was because the bathroom floor looked cleaner than his own clothes. Anyway, he took off his clothes, which were soaked through to his underwear, and went to the area where the showerhead was hanging instead of the shiny, grime-free bathtub.

With goosebumps covering his skin, Yang Euijoo fumbled around for a long time before finally succeeding in turning on the water. And he tilted his head, extremely suspicious. It was because warm water was pouring out. whoosh Of course, some of the better houses in Yirang had a ‘heating’ function, but Yang Euijoo’s house did not. He was a person who had become accustomed to washing with cold water in both the middle of summer and the dead of winter.

Yang Euijoo stood under the pouring warm water, lost in thought. His head, which had felt like it would explode, crammed with the story of Peter’s death and what Mr. Chui had said, instantly became quiet. A romance with a man? It was a ridiculous story. His life, which was already complicated enough from being born on a dirty ship deck, had become as tangled as a knotted string.

“Fuck, fuck, really. Life is one hell of a…”

While he was muttering curses, a knock was heard from outside. knock knock Yang Euijoo’s mind, which had been soaked in annoyed exhaustion, snapped awake.

“I’ll leave a change of clothes outside.”

“……”

“Take your time washing up and come out.”

Listening to the affectionate voice, Yang Euijoo deliberately turned the water on stronger. And he replied in a voice that was muffled and spread out by the water.

“Yes, thank you.”

The man let out a short laugh and walked away. Yang Euijoo banged his head against the cold wall. His wet gray hair stuck to the blue tiles. Life is one hell of a twisted ride. Yang Euijoo muttered lowly.

When he came out, still feeling unpleasant even after washing, refreshments were prepared on the table. Cheon Yeomyung was sitting with an empty chair in front of him, nonchalantly flipping through a newspaper. A pair of glasses with thin gold frames rested on the face of the man reading the newspaper. A long chain connected to the glasses hung below his chin, drawing a semicircle. A very thin, bright shadow flickered near the man’s cheek, cast by the chain of the same gold as the frames.

“Excuse me.”

“Eat something first.”

Cheon Yeomyung said, his gaze still fixed on the newspaper. He spoke as if coaxing, but his tone was clearly a command.

It was true that all he had consumed so far was a sip of tea and a cigarette. He was hungry anyway, so instead of refusing with an impertinent remark, Yang Euijoo sat down obediently and faced a feast that seemed like something one could only have before going to hell. There was so much prepared that he did not know what to eat first. For drinks, there was tea, coffee, milk, and juice, all of them.

Unable to process the fact that there were four kinds of drinks, Yang Euijoo picked up the muffin closest to him. The yellow muffin, like cheese, had a savory and sweet scent. When he broke it in half, specks of some unknown dried fruit were embedded in it. Half of the fist-sized muffin melted and disappeared in his mouth like sugar. After chewing for a long time, Yang Euijoo realized that the fruit embedded in the muffin was dried fig.

Just as he was about to bite into the soft and chewy fig with his teeth, along with the sound of a newspaper page turning, he heard a thunderous remark.

“Maybe it’s because Chui is getting old, but he talks a lot of nonsense.”

He had a placid face, as if he had heard the entire conversation between Mr. Chui and Yang Euijoo. Yang Euijoo almost swallowed his breath along with the muffin. In an instant, the sweet bread went down as roughly as a lump of sand. At the sight of Yang Euijoo desperately looking for something to drink, Cheon Yeomyung clicked his tongue. He briefly tore his eyes away from the newspaper, in which one could not find any information related to the murder that had occurred at dawn.

“I won’t kill him.”

Everyone misunderstood that Cheon Yeomyung killed people left and right, but he was the type to think about it three times before casting someone out. He was not a murderer whose hobby and pleasure was killing. Cheon Yeomyung did not hide his displeasure and roughly explained.

“He’s at an age where he’ll die soon even if I just leave him be… and old people are naturally nosy. I don’t use Chui without knowing that much.”

He was talking at length, but to put it simply, it was a considerate statement that he would not kill him because he was going to die anyway. Yang Euijoo finally put down the muffin in his hand and asked.

“What about me?”

“Because you’re my type.”

In any case, it was an utterly vulgar reason. Yang Euijoo tried hard not to judge whether it was a good thing to be called a man’s ‘type’.

“I admit I’ve had quite a few lovers. And I admit their ends weren’t good. However, when you’re in a position like this, there are times when you have to show that you’re fine in useless ways…”

His words grew smaller. Later, he was so focused on reading the article that he could only be heard mumbling. Soon, the man seemed to have lost the will to explain anything and read the newspaper with concentration. After a brief moment, with a rustling sound, the newspaper was turned over to the next page again. rustle

Yang Euijoo wondered if he was the only one taking this topic seriously. At least for Cheon Yeomyung, reading a newspaper filled with dense text seemed a bit more interesting than confessing such a past.

“Anyway, it’s not all my fault that my lovers died, so, hmm, this looks interesting.”

Soon, Cheon Yeomyung seemed to have found an interesting article and focused on it. Then he took out a notepad stuck on one side of the table and jotted something down. When Yang Euijoo read it, it was a strange novel title and a scheduled publication date written on it. “It’s a post-modern novel,” Cheon Yeomyung explained unwantedly, his pen moving ceaselessly.

“But, Euijoo-ya.”

A tender call overlapped with the sound of a heavy fountain pen tapping on the mahogany tea table. Yang Euijoo thought that if he crushed the muffin he had just swallowed and squeezed out the sugar inside, a voice like this would come out. Yang Euijoo forced his gaze away from the memo filled with useless content. It took a lot of courage to raise his eyes just a handspan’s-length from below.

The towel he had used to dry his body today was softer than the clothes he wore. And the clothes he was given were even softer than the towel.

Not the salty, stiff fabric that had absorbed the sea breeze, but a fluttering, plain T-shirt and pants that clung to his skin, smelling of strong sunlight. It was a smell that was close to the life Yang Euijoo desired.

“Have I been that heartless to you?”

“……”

“Or, could it be that you’re angry because I suggested we have tea too late?”

Yang Euijoo laughed without realizing it. He was angry. He was not angry because Cheon Yeomyung treated him like just another mistress who was jealous, whiny, and flirtatious. He was angry at the attitude of focusing more on taking notes on a book and reading the newspaper while he was right in front of him. So, there was no way the conversation could continue properly. Yang Euijoo felt that the moment he had been afraid of the man was his most foolish moment.

“How do you see me?”

Did he think he was some guy who cries and fights over a romance? Unable to contain his sudden annoyance, Yang Euijoo shoved away the newspaper Cheon Yeomyung was looking at with his hand. shove The man’s body was very firm, but the newspaper was not, so it crumpled easily under the force of Yang Euijoo’s grip. Cheon Yeomyung’s eyes widened in slight surprise. Cheon Yeomyung with glasses had a much more upstanding and elite image than usual. He looked a little younger than usual, and he soon smiled.

“Haha.”

Even though the newspaper he was reading well had been crumpled, he did not get angry but rather laughed for quite a while. He had never even imagined him laughing out loud, but seeing it in person, it suited him well. Soon, he briefly took off his glasses and pressed the corner of his lips with his finger. He looked like he was trying to force back his laughter.

“Hmm.”

Cheon Yeomyung finally met Yang Euijoo’s eyes. Yang Euijoo curled his fingertips into a tight fist. The golden eyes curved like a meteor shower drawing a faint trajectory. He had seen this curve on a ship when he was young. The moment the stars poured down in the middle of the sea.

“Useful.”

As if even squeezing out that much of a compliment required thought, Cheon Yeomyung thought a little more before answering.

“And pretty…”

“Am I supposed to say thank you for that?”

Yang Euijoo cut off Cheon Yeomyung’s words and asked annoyedly. Cheon Yeomyung shook his head, his smiling face unchanged. Then he gestured with his chin. At the sight of him correcting his posture as if he were finally willing to listen to what a person had to say, Yang Euijoo mouthed a curse. He should have grabbed the newspaper and ripped it to shreds the moment he saw it. Then they could have had a proper conversation without wasting time, couldn’t they? Of course, that was a separate issue from whether the other party still considered Yang Euijoo as someone capable of conversation.

“Why were you trying to kill Peter?”

“Why was I trying to kill him?”

The man smiled beautifully and tilted his head as if asking what was wrong with that. His face was even innocent.

“He liked you, didn’t he.”

“……”

“Without knowing his place.”

It had been just one conversation. Peter was just an unlucky and stupid human being. It was not as if Yang Euijoo had given him any encouragement. The price for a brief, even cold, conversation was death? Furthermore, Cheon Yeomyung’s attitude was as if discussing a life was nothing. Yang Euijoo was at a loss for words at the man’s attitude, which made murdering a person seem lighter than drinking tea.

The beautiful man saw Yang Euijoo’s expression and smiled. The tea table was as beautiful as his face. In a place where everything from the teacups to the forks, plates, and of course, all the furnishings in this room were arranged for Cheon Yeomyung with elegance and care, the man spat out poisoned words without hesitation.

“Are you a bit squeamish about getting your hands dirty?”

Cheon Yeomyung tilted his head and raised the corners of his mouth.

“We’re going to end up in the relationship I want anyway, so it’s better to get used to this. And I need to give a clear warning that you’re my lover so other guys don’t touch you so easily.”

“Even so, to say you were going to kill him…”

“Why do you say such naive things when you live in Yirang?”

The vague atmosphere was overturned in an instant. Cheon Yeomyung tapped the table with his fingertips. tap, tap, tap Yang Euijoo noticed that Cheon Yeomyung was still wearing his gloves and sensed from the harsh, rhythmic tapping on the table that he was very annoyed. The man raised his voice. And he whispered with a clear pronunciation that even a child could understand.

“The very medicine you make is that kind of shit, do you even have the right to say such things?”

He was unhesitating in bringing up his sore spot. Yang Euijoo’s complexion instantly turned blue. But Cheon Yeomyung smiled kindly, as if he had no intention of reprimanding Yang Euijoo. The clattering sound of him putting down the teacup felt like his skin was being torn by shards of porcelain. clatter