Non-Resistance Chapter 9

“Ah, then should I go to your younger sibling instead? How old did you say your sibling was?”

“No, you can’t!”

Yeongin shouted at the man who was acting as if he were about to go find Yeongwoo immediately. Yeongwoo was too young. And there was no way a sick child could pay off that money.

“Yes, yes. Then, it would be right for you, the hyung, to pay it back, right? I didn’t lend much, so the interest isn’t that much. Exactly 1.5 million won per month. I’m telling you, that’s all it is.”

“I, I don’t have such a large sum of money…”

One point five million. I had to pay such a large sum of money every month? Yeongin felt as if his vision were turning white at the unexpectedly large amount. Even if he set Yeongwoo’s hospital bills at 1.5 million won, the rent at 300,000 won, and minimum living expenses at 100,000 won, his monthly expenses were 1.9 million won—and now an additional 1.5 million won on top of that.

Seeing Yeongin trembling with a devastated face, the man draped his arm over his shoulders. Looking at him up close, his white, soft cheeks—perhaps because he was young—looked appetizing. How much more delicious would that bare skin be? The man, who had scanned Yeongin with sinister eyes, licked his lower lip with his tongue and opened his mouth.

“Or would you rather pay with your body?”

“…Wh, at.”

“Our student, they say you’re a student at a prestigious university. You’re smart, so you know what I’m talking about, don’t you?”

He knew everything—where I lived, that I had a younger sibling, and the school I attended. Could it be that this man, who knew everything, also knew about my secret, which was different from others? Sweat dripped from beneath Yeongin’s forehead. The man, taking him in, said:

“Someone pretty like you—I think customers on this side would like you. Have you ever slept with a man?”

Slowly lowering his hand, he grabbed Yeongin’s buttocks. Remembering a memory he had been trying to forget, Yeongin hurriedly pushed the man’s shoulder away, his body trembling.

“You’ve never had your rear end taken? There’s no way the kids around you would have just left someone like you alone.”

Just looking at his face was enough to stir a man’s carnal desires. Imagining him crying, streaming tears down his face while shaking his hips with that very face, the man’s lower abdomen pulled tight.

“Baby. Or do you want to try sucking Oppa’s cock just once? Then I’ll let this week pass as a service.”

Seeing the face that was grinning, showing off gold teeth, goosebumps broke out on Yeongin’s body.

“I don’t, want to… Don’t do it! And don’t, don’t touch my body either!”

“My, my, how feisty.”

The man let out a scoffing laugh, observing the corners of Yeongin’s reddened eyes, and twisted his lips into a smile. 1.5 million won was just a figure of speech. There was no way a young kid who was still only 23 could pay the interest every month. After seeing the photo Ha Jinsu had handed him, the man had willingly lent him the 100 million won on purpose.

“Right. If you don’t want to, I won’t force you. Instead, keep in mind that the 1st of every month is the payment date. Let’s see each other again soon, student.”

With a cackling laugh that echoed through the hallway, the man exited. Watching his disappearing back, Yeongin, his legs losing strength, sat down on the floor and let out ragged breaths.

With trembling hands, he took out his phone and called his father immediately. He only heard the recorded message saying the phone could not be reached. Yeongin let out a hollow sigh, thinking of his father who had once again presented him with the worst-case scenario.

🍇🌊

“Excuse me. When will the steamed eggs come out?”

“I’m sorry! I’ll bring them right away!”

The part-time job at the barbecue restaurant, which I started because the hourly wage was high, was always busy even though I was running around all day long. After entering the kitchen and serving the steaming bowl of eggs, I went to the back of the restaurant to move charcoal briquettes into a container.

On the hot summer day, thick beads of sweat streamed down beneath Yeongin’s forehead as he stood in front of the fire.

Cough, cough…

My body was a wreck since I barely slept even three hours a day. It was just as I was flipping the red-burning charcoal and moving it that a call began to come in from the hospital.

“Hello?”

— Hello, are you the guardian for patient Ha Yeongwoo? This is Yunji Hospital. The hospital bills have been unpaid for over two months now. I’m calling to verify.

Strength went into Yeongin’s hand gripping the phone. He had already taken on an extra part-time job to earn Yeongwoo’s hospital bills. However, unexpected situations kept occurring, so the money just wouldn’t pile up.

“I’m sorry. I have a situation. I’ll definitely deposit it within this week…”

— Hmm. Understood. You must deposit it by the end of this month. Otherwise, according to our hospital regulations, you’ll have to vacate the bed. I really beg you.

“I understand… I’m sorry, Mister.”

After hanging up, Yeongin sighed and began to work again. At least today is the day I get paid for my night shift at the convenience store, so I’ll solve Yeongwoo’s hospital bills with that first.

Holding the container full of charcoal with both hands, Yeongin got up and went inside the restaurant. Yeongin, who had been moving busily, finished his work only when it hit 12:00 AM and exited the restaurant with a body exhausted to the point of collapse.

Having arrived home after walking for a long time because he didn’t have money for the bus, Yeongin was going up the stairs, thinking he wanted to wash his sticky body quickly, when—

“Father?”

Seeing the face of the person who had brushed past him, Yeongin was able to recognize that it was his father. Yeongin, who had turned his head, saw his father make eye contact with him and then quickly turn to run away, so he instinctively chased after him.

“H-huff, huff, F-Father!”

Though he ran with all his might chasing after his father, his legs, already drained of all energy, could no longer muster any strength. Sensing a wave of anxiety at the sight of his father’s retreating figure as he ran for his life, Yeongin hurriedly headed toward his home.

“Th, this can’t be…”

The inside of the house was a mess, as if a robber had broken in. In the midst of that, Yeongin didn’t even have time to take off his shoes before going inside to check his workbooks. He had tucked all the money he had received in cash between the books, but it had vanished without a trace.

This money was to be added to Yeongwoo’s hospital bills. He had collected it while eating leftovers at the restaurant, but in one instant, all of Yeongin’s efforts had vanished into bubbles.

“No…”

Yeongwoo, whose heart had not been good since birth, was a patient with pulmonary heart valve disease and had undergone valve reconstruction surgery three years ago. But even that prognosis hadn’t been good. The professor in charge had recommended an artificial valve transplant, but given his current state, he couldn’t afford the surgery costs.

Thinking of his younger sibling, who was becoming thinner day by day, Yeongin tightly gripped his phone with trembling hands.

“No… No, I have to save our Yeongwoo…”

Swallowing his sobs and clenching his fists, one person came to Yeongin’s mind. 3 million won per month. In exchange for offering his body, that amount would be enough to settle both his debt and his younger sibling’s hospital bills.

Holding his phone with hands that shook violently, Yeongin, not even knowing that the time had already passed 12:00 AM, called Dogeon straight away.

As the ringing continued, a look of anxiety filled Yeongin’s face. Once, twice. Just as he was about to keep calling Dogeon until he picked up, the other party finally answered.

— Hello.

The man’s languid voice pierced into Yeongin’s ears. Taking a breath as if being pulled up from beneath the surface of the water, Yeongin parted his lips.

“I, is that—is that offer still valid?”

— Ha. Do you even know what time it is?

“Sob… If, if possible. I’ll do it. I’ll do it, Dogeon…”

After a sigh sounded on the other end of the receiver, an answer returned to Yeongin, who had been gripping his phone tightly with an anxious face.

— Can you do it well?

“…”

— I’m asking if you can suck my cock well. Like a slut.

“Yes, ha, I can. I’ll do, do whatever you tell me to…”

To Yeongin, who nodded his head quickly, Dogeon said. He had to get used to words like that now, too. He could do anything if it meant earning money.

— Come to my house by 6:00 PM tomorrow. Wear a short skirt so your legs are all exposed, and a long wig. If you’re wearing that shitty underwear like last time, I’ll tear it all up.

With that final word, the phone cut off. While he was staring blankly at his phone, a text message chimed, and 5.5 million won was deposited into his bank account.

The 5 million won was one thing, but what was the 500,000 won? As Yeongin was rolling his eyes, a follow-up message arrived telling him to go buy some clothes.

“Ha, ah…”

As money 1,000 times the amount that was left in his bank account—which had only had 5,000 won remaining—poured in, his blocked breath finally burst out.