Chapter 25
by GideonTaemo continued to mutter, loud enough for Juhyeon to hear. It was hard to tell if he was joking or serious.
If he gets a motorcycle, he’ll blow all the money he earned cleaning up bodies.
Fearing his joke might become a reality, Juhyeon trailed after Taemo, nagging him.
“Motorcycles are dangerous. You already have several cars, so why—”
“This one.”
Taemo cut her off, snatching a thin shirt from a hanger and draping it over her arms. It was exactly the kind of style that would suit him perfectly.
“Huh?”
“Buy it. It’s the perfect size.”
He turned away after delivering his command. The clerk, who had been standing a few steps behind, approached with a soft smile.
“Would you like to proceed with the purchase of this item?”
“…Ah, yes.”
I fumbled with the price tag dangling inside the hanger as I gave a reluctant answer. How many zeros are there? Even a cursory glance at the price made my heart pound. I’d never bought anything this expensive in my life. My fingertips trembled visibly as I handed over my card.
“Thank you.”
“…Goodbye.”
Looking at the total on the receipt, the shopping bag suddenly felt unusually heavy. I trudged out of the store and immediately spotted Taemo. He was standing with his weight shifted to one leg, a pile of shopping bags resting on a chair beside him.
“…”
Right. He’s spent millions on me. Don’t be so stingy over one shirt. It might not be the right way to think, but thanks to him, I’m making money and don’t have to worry about where I’ll live. Just think positively. Think positively. With that mantra, I walked over to Taemo.
“Here.”
“Thanks?”
“…The shirt. I think it’ll look good on you,” I added, my voice barely a murmur.
Taemo, who had taken the shopping bag with a disinterested expression, suddenly burst into laughter.
“What, are you trying to flatter me so I’ll buy you something else?”
This isn’t flattery. I mean it.
The shirt was made of a thin, flowing fabric that would perfectly accentuate Taemo’s broad shoulders and solid build. Though the material had a subtle sheen, it would complement his sharp, striking features and dark skin tone. But I could never bring myself to say all that out loud.
“Think whatever you want.”
Juhyeon took the lead, clutching the shopping bag containing her clothes. She marched forward without a clue where they were going. Yet Taemo didn’t try to correct her course or complain. He simply followed her, strolling along with a single, light shopping bag in his hand.
They moved from floor to floor, continuing their shopping. They dined at an elegantly atmospheric restaurant and even browsed a neighborhood of luxurious, detached homes. Perhaps it was for his work, but Taemo observed everything with a deliberate slowness, even taking the time to discreetly photograph houses he liked. After checking out a few spacious lots that looked promising for building a new home, they finally got back into the car.
Juhyeon was curious about why they’d come all this way, but she didn’t ask. Taemo wouldn’t do anything pointless, after all.
Just when Juhyeon thought they were finally heading home, the two of them made their way to the Han River instead. They even bought canned beer and potato chips before settling on a bench. Perhaps because the weather was pleasantly cool, there were still many people out running, even this late. A running crew of over a dozen people streamed past them.
Juhyeon’s eyes followed their movement, then she slowly turned her head.
Taemo was leaning back, hands resting on the bench. His face showed no particular interest or purpose. He seemed a bit more subdued than usual. She sipped the rest of her beer, glancing at his profile. A breeze blew, lightly ruffling his hair. With his mouth closed, he definitely seemed less intimidating.
“Got something to say? What are you staring at?”
Juhyeon nearly spat out his beer at Taemo’s sharp words, delivered without the man even glancing his way. He coughed repeatedly, scrubbing his wet lips with the back of his hand. He’d tried to be discreet with his side-glance, but Taemo’s instincts were always too sharp.
“My eyes just look like I’m glaring,” Juhyeon mumbled. “I was just looking…”
“Then stop looking at me.”
“…Hey, by the way. Is today a special occasion? I’ve been wondering.”
Only then did Taemo finally turn his gaze to Juhyeon. His expression was unreadable—perhaps a flicker of interest, or maybe he was just waiting to see how far Juhyeon would push it. Juhyeon couldn’t tell.
“Today? Why?”
“You’re always training whenever you have a free moment. You didn’t even go to the karaoke bar today. We’ve just been walking around all day.”
And you’ve been so gloomy this whole time.
Juhyeon swallowed the last word, feeling it was something he shouldn’t say. Though he enjoyed the leisure, he’d been puzzled the entire time he was being dragged along.
“It’s probably some kind of occasion.”
“Is that a yes or a no?”
At the ambiguous answer, Juhyeon turned his body fully to face Taemo. He then rolled up the empty potato chip bag—now just crumbs—and folded it into a ttakji. A low voice cut through the rustling sound.
“With so many people in Korea, wouldn’t at least one of them have a birthday today? Or maybe…”
“…”
“The anniversary of their death?”
Again, the answer was vague. Taemo had always been someone who spoke directly and bluntly, without holding back. He was acting strange today. Juhyeon, who had been rolling the folded chip bag in his hand, glanced at Taemo again.
He leaned back against the bench, resting his arm along its back. His outstretched arm spanned the space behind Juhyeon’s shoulders, creating the illusion of an embrace, but Juhyeon was too preoccupied to notice.
“You’re not planning to fatten me up with all these gifts and good food just to sell me off, are you?”
Looking back on his time with Lee Taemo, Juhyeon had certainly eaten a lot. He’d watched a lot of TV, too, probably racking up a decent electricity bill. Still, he’d taken the initiative to clean the house, kept Taemo company, completed every task he was given, and even served as his training partner. Surely Taemo wouldn’t be that ruthless. Of course, if Taemo had any shred of compassion, he wouldn’t be in the business of killing people.
At Juhyeon’s question, Taemo’s eyebrow twitched. He tilted his head, his gaze sharpening as he glared.
“You wouldn’t even fetch enough to cover the gas money.”
Though the surrounding area was noisy, Taemo’s low mutter came through with crystal clarity.
“…It’s just weird.”
“What’s weird?”
“You’re not acting like yourself.”
Taemo let out a soft chuckle and shifted his arm from the back of the bench. He wrapped it around Juhyeon’s shoulders and pulled him close. Even though he didn’t use much force, Juhyeon’s body still tilted. Suddenly, the distance between them vanished.
More than the large hand on his shoulder or the dark eyes staring intensely at him, Juhyeon found himself more distracted by the scent of leather wafting past his nose.
“Four o’clock. See the guy with the snake tattoo on his arm?”
Juhyeon’s eyes darted around as Taemo whispered, his face pressed close. There, three heavyset men were snickering. The one Taemo had mentioned—the one with the snake tattoo—was puffing on an e-cigarette.
“Go get the wallet from his back pocket.”
“…Are you asking me to improvise this, or was this already the plan?”
The three men were laughing boisterously, clearly finding something hilarious. They leaned in and threw their heads back, their entire bodies shaking with laughter. Juhyeon watched them intently from the corner of his eye.
“Does that really matter?”
Taemo leaned in so close their noses almost touched. With every word, his warm breath tickled Juhyeon’s lips. Juhyeon’s eyes darted around frantically, only to meet Taemo’s dark, piercing gaze.
“Just do as you’re told.”
“…”
If any of his friends had gotten this close, Juhyeon would have cursed them out and pushed them away. He would have snapped at them, asking what the hell they were doing and complaining that their breathing was annoying. Yet, strangely, he couldn’t move a muscle. He felt bound by those dark eyes, so captivated he even forgot to breathe. Thump, thump. His heart was racing wildly. It must be because I’m still terrified of Lee Taemo, he told himself.
“Alright, Capri, move out.”
He leaned in, resting a large hand on top of Juhyeon’s head. He even patted it a few times, as if trying to soothe him.
“…I told you not to call me that.”
“Talking back, are we?”
“…”
Juhyeon puffed out his chest, exhaled sharply, and reluctantly nodded. It was his answer to the order to steal it.
He slipped off the thin shirt he was wearing and draped it over his arm. Then, he slowly stood up, lowering his gaze as if pretending to check his phone screen. He began walking toward the group of thugs who were snickering.
“I thought it would go up if I just held on. Ah, what a fucking waste.”
“See? Fuck, I told you to sell when I said so, didn’t I? This bastard buys at the peak and sells at the bottom.”
“If you want to make money, just do the opposite of whatever this idiot does.”
The rough-looking men roared with laughter. One of them, his arms covered in tattoos, swayed dramatically as he cackled. In that moment, Juhyeon quickened his pace.
Thud!
Just as he’d planned, the man’s massive frame blocked his path, and they collided. It was a collision Juhyeon could have easily avoided, but he threw his entire weight into the impact. His arm, draped in a loose shirt, shot out toward the man’s back pocket. The moment his fingertips brushed the wallet, he snatched it and tucked it beneath his shirt.
Being a pickpocket wasn’t just about fast hands.
“Ah!”
Juhyeon let out a loud cry as he sprawled onto the ground. Even though he’d fallen on purpose, the impact left his backside stinging.
“Whoops, sorry.”
“You crazy bastard, why the hell did you push him? He’s hurt.”
The man’s snickering showed no real remorse. As his friends continued to scold him, he playfully hid his e-cigarette behind his back and extended a hand. It was a gesture for Juhyeon to take it and stand up.
“…”
But Juhyeon didn’t take the hand. Instead, he glared at the man—with even more intensity than when Taemo had snapped at him earlier for staring.
“Hey, I said sorry, okay?”
The man didn’t look embarrassed or awkward at all. He was just acting smug and nonchalant because Juhyeon looked weak to him.
“D-don’t… don’t block the way.”
Juhyeon deliberately stammered. Then, he completely hid the hand gripping his wallet tightly beneath his shirt.
“Look, I already fucking apologized, so what’s your problem? You want me to pay for your medical bills or something?”
The man with the snake tattoo had completely changed his tune. Despite being the one at fault, he was now openly displaying his annoyance, his voice booming. The atmosphere turned hostile in an instant, drawing the glances of passersby. Juhyeon hadn’t expected the situation to escalate this quickly. He was still looking up at the man, slightly flustered, when—
“What are you doing in a dirty place like this?”
A large shadow fell over Juhyeon, who was still sitting on the grass after falling on his ass. At the familiar voice and scent, Juhyeon let out a breath of relief.
“I fell.”
“Fuck, this kid’s a weakling. Did you break a bone or something?”
Taemo stood before Juhyeon, shifting his weight to one leg. He completely shielded her from view, allowing her to quickly scramble up and slip her wallet back into her pocket. Only after she was fully on her feet did Taemo lean down, his hands meticulously brushing the grass off her backside.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” he muttered, loud enough for everyone to hear. “Pushing someone this small? You’ve got some nerve.”
His words were a blatant provocation, yet he seemed completely unfazed by his own boldness. Juhyeon, however, darted her eyes around, trying to gauge the mood.
“Hah?”
The men scoffed, their expressions darkening as they tried to intimidate him, but they didn’t make a move. Even they could see Taemo wasn’t someone to mess with—not with his build and that face.
After a few more pats to ensure every blade of grass was gone, Taemo straightened up. He turned slowly to face the men.
“What’s the matter? Waiting to pay for the hospital bill?”
Taemo swept his gaze up and down the man, his voice trailing off in a question. Was it because there were so many eyes on them, or was he genuinely furious?
The tattooed man scoffed and took a step toward Taemo. The height difference was so stark that the sight was almost comical. His companions seemed to agree, quickly grabbing him to hold him back.
“Hey, hey, enough. Just let it go.”
“You’re the one who needs to let it go.”
If they had actually come to blows, Taemo would have won hands down. The man only looked imposing because of his bulk, while Taemo was a fitness freak who knew exactly where to strike to incapacitate someone.
Taemo didn’t even flinch as the man stepped closer, chest puffed out, ready to fight. He simply looked down at him.
“H-Hyung, let’s go.”
Juhyeon quickly stepped in, tugging at Taemo’s sleeve as if to restrain him. Taemo glanced down at the hand clutching his clothes and let out a soft chuckle. He spoke without even sparing a glance at the men.
“You’re only getting off easy because of him.”
With that, Taemo threw an arm around Juhyeon’s shoulders and spun away. Behind them, the muffled sounds of curses being spat out echoed. Juhyeon quickly tugged his shirt down to hide the wallet he’d shoved into his pocket. He hurried to keep pace with Taemo’s long, brisk strides.
“You were seriously shitting your pants, weren’t you?”
“No way. I had a knife on me, so I wasn’t scared at all.”
“Bullshit. You can’t even swing that thing properly.”
Every time Taemo chuckled, the vibration traveled through their touching bodies. Juhyeon could feel the man’s amusement completely. Lee Taemo was definitely someone to be feared, he thought. So how did we get this close? And why did I feel relieved when he showed up? Even though I know he’s way more dangerous than those petty punks.
Suddenly, the situation felt strange and awkward. I was supposed to be saving up enough money and getting ready to back out, not getting used to this and relying on him. My uselessly high adaptability was a problem at times like this.
“You got the wallet.”
I can’t forget my place. I’m just someone who cleans up and steals. I shouldn’t get any closer to him than that. I shook off the arm draped over my shoulders and quickened my pace. But before I could get far, a heavy hand landed on my shoulder again. I felt as if my whole body were being bound tight.
“Of course you did.”
Whether he knew Juhyeon’s complicated feelings or not, Taemo’s answer was always clear and concise.
The two headed straight for the parking lot. Only after getting into the car did they start rummaging through the stolen wallet. Inside, they found a driver’s license, a few cards, several business cards, two crumpled receipts, and a 50,000 won bill. The wallet, emblazoned with a luxury brand logo, had clearly been put to good use.
Click, click.
They took photos of each item as they pulled it out. Taemo had ordered them to send everything to Kang-i.
“This is the last one.”
After snapping a final picture of the open wallet, they sent it to the contact saved as ‘Cola’. The reply came instantly.
Wait 10 minutes while I check.
“He says to wait ten minutes.”
Taemo, leaning back in the driver’s seat and staring straight ahead, gave a slight nod.
His mood was a bit strange today. He kept making unreadable expressions, and he’d stopped snapping back at everything they said. Is he sick? A flicker of concern crossed their mind as they stole a glance at him.
“…”
He doesn’t look sick, Juhyeon thought, tilting her head slightly as she caught her breath.
The parking lot was bustling with people, yet inside the car, it was as if they were in another world, wrapped in a suffocating silence. Juhyeon mindlessly tapped at her phone, finally zooming in on a photo of a detached house she’d taken earlier that day. The building still had that unmistakable new-construction gleam, as if no one had lived in it yet.
After staring at the photo for a moment, Juhyeon hesitantly held out her phone.
“This is the house I saw today. It’s exactly my dream home. A yard, big windows, low walls…”
Taemo, who had been leaning his head against the headrest, slowly turned his gaze toward her. He blinked impassively at the house on the screen.
“A house like this must be crazy expensive, right? Could I even afford it if I worked my ass off? Maybe I should lower my standards.”
“…”
“But even if I lower mine, you might not lower yours, hyung. You’re the type to care a lot about your image, after all.”
Juhyeon chuckled, his finger tapping the screen as he repeatedly zoomed in and out. Dongwoo was a rough-around-the-edges but surprisingly delicate person. That’s why he’d put so much thought into choosing a gift. Though, Juhyeon’s taste as an elementary schooler probably wasn’t all that great back then.
As Juhyeon quietly chuckled to himself, Taemo’s low, heavy voice cut in.
“I’m not sure.”
“Huh?”
Was he saying that no matter how hard I worked, I’d never save enough to buy a house like this?
As Juhyeon blinked blankly, Taemo continued.
“…I thought you’d be grateful. But maybe not.”
“…”
“I’ve never had a target this unsure before.”
The bitter smile didn’t suit Lee Taemo.
Is he talking about me getting involved in this? Juhyeon wondered. But he’s the one who pushed me into it, practically threatening me.
She tilted her head, narrowing her eyes as she studied Taemo’s face. He looked uncharacteristically uncomfortable, as if his words weren’t just empty talk.
Is his conscience finally kicking in? she thought. Should I take advantage of this moment of regret and back out? He’d probably let me go now.
Juhyeon gripped her phone tightly, choosing her words carefully.
“Um, if you’re talking about me starting this job… the process was a bit cruel and scary, but… in the end, my bank account is full, so I guess I am grateful.”
“…”
“It started with blackmail, but I’m the one who made the choice, right? I got blinded by the money. Well, if you really feel bad… you can let me leave later if I say I want to. Haha.”
I stammered through the awkward words. It wasn’t exactly meant to be a comfort. I was just stating my thoughts as they were. The truth was, I couldn’t bear to walk away from the ever-growing balance in my bank account. So, this wasn’t really to reassure him.
“Just… you know… that’s all.”
I added an awkward laugh and glanced at him. He turned his head, having been leaning against the headrest. I found myself completely captivated by his eyes, which had been strangely subdued all day.
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