SU | Chapter 2.6

Letting out a sigh of relief, Yoohan grabbed as many rags as he could and headed to the bathroom. He took pride in his ability to clean, even though he had never done a part-time job that involved hauling trash or cleaning the interior. Returning with a damp rag in his reddened hands, the first thing he wiped down was the desk with the nameplate. Cough, cough. Just one swipe, and dust floated in the air like snowflakes.

“Ugh… cough.”

If he had to go out, he should at least buy a mask. There was no way Ji Youngwon would have such supplies in a place like this, and even if he asked for cleaning tools, it seemed unlikely they would be brought. Yet, even while Yoohan was busy polishing the office, Ji Youngwon and his minions still hadn’t shown up.

After cutting away the rotting leaves from the potted plant, Yoohan wiped his nose. Although he had opened the window, there was a limit to how much dust that had probably been sitting for years could be cleared out at once. He absentmindedly wiped his nose with the back of his hand. Sniffling, he glanced toward the entrance, but the door remained stubbornly still.

As Yoohan sat on the sofa, dozing off, his body suddenly slumped. The electric heater’s cord was taut, lying at his feet. The clock on the desk was already nearing nine in the evening.

Even while waiting and dozing off, his stomach was making a ruckus. He hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast. Yoohan rubbed his growling belly. With hunger gnawing at him, he couldn’t even dream of a good night’s sleep.

“Ugh…”

It was clear that Ji Youngwon had forgotten about him. A wave of sadness washed over him. These days, even one meal a day felt like a blessing, but after finishing his tense first assignment, he felt particularly empty inside. It would be better to just fall asleep and wake up in the morning.

He had stayed put all afternoon, like a dog waiting for its owner, not daring to step outside the office. He thought about going to the restaurant next door or maybe checking out the café, but those thoughts remained just that—thoughts. He felt uneasy about whether the guy with the dragon tattoo would still be there, and he couldn’t carelessly step outside, fearing the commotion from below.

With a frown, Yoohan clutched his painfully empty stomach when he suddenly heard a sound.

“Little rat.”

Ji Youngwon entered the office, now dressed in a much more comfortable outfit than before. Having likely finished work earlier, he was wearing the same easy-to-wear slippers as yesterday. Yoohan, who had been fixing his flattened hair, pouted his lips.

“Why, why are you only coming now?”

“What?”

Ji Youngwon replied nonchalantly, as if he didn’t understand what Yoohan was saying. Yoohan clenched his fists in secret, his eyebrows furrowing deeply.

Ignoring Yoohan, who was slumped on the sofa, Ji Youngwon walked straight to the desk. With one hand tucked into his black sweatpants, he swept his other hand across the desk. Some documents that Gu Kangsan had handed out during the morning meeting were left here.

“Where did all the papers that were here go?”

Yoohan felt resentful that Ji Youngwon had made him wait without any apology. Realizing that he was here not for himself but to find something, his mood sank even further.

“…I put them all in the drawer under the desk while cleaning.”

Not knowing the contents well, he had just organized the papers in the order they were in. Ji Youngwon glanced at Yoohan when he heard the word “cleaning” and then resumed scanning the desk.

“Everything’s fine, but don’t mess with the documents.”

Ji Youngwon’s voice took on a strangely subdued tone. Yoohan slowly stood up from the sofa and approached him.

“I’m sorry for touching them carelessly.”

He thought he would at least make an excuse, but surprisingly, it was a rather straightforward apology. Ji Youngwon didn’t respond and pulled out the documents from the drawer under the desk.

“But you told me to stay up there earlier.”

With a stack of papers tucked under his arm, Ji Youngwon straightened his bent waist. He looked down at Yoohan, who had come close to him. What’s with this kid being so small and insignificant?

“So?”

“…So I waited here. I cleaned really hard… Of course, I’m sorry for touching the documents, but I didn’t know better.”

Ji Youngwon pressed his thumb against his throbbing temple.

“What do you want to hear? Stop rambling and just say it.”

On days when he heard someone’s screams or complaints, it was only natural for his head to throb. Today was no different. He grimaced, holding his already aching head.

Unaware of Ji Youngwon’s chronic condition, Yoohan gradually hunched his shoulders under the intense glare. Adjusting his cardigan that had slipped down, he lowered his gaze even further. A few seconds of silence passed.

“…Can I have some food, please?”

And once again, an unbearable silence settled in. A few sheets of paper that had been tucked under Ji Youngwon’s arm fell helplessly to the floor.

“What? You want food?”

Yoohan, lifting his big eyes, nodded vigorously this time.

“Yes. Please give me food. I’m really hungry, and… I feel a bit sad, but I’m not asking for an apology, just food, please.”

What the hell is this kid saying? Ji Youngwon couldn’t even muster a laugh and asked again.

“Why are you asking me for food?”

“…Because you told me to stay up there, and I couldn’t eat while waiting.”

Ji Youngwon lightly cupped his chin with one hand. Is this what it feels like to be at a loss for words? He couldn’t even muster a smile anymore. He looked at Yoohan as if he were an alien.

“You waited for me?”

“Yes.”

“When did you start listening to me so well?”

“Because you kept saying you’d hit me if I didn’t listen….”

The headache that had been tormenting him suddenly vanished. Does absurdity make headaches go away? He focused on the few sheets of paper that had fallen to the floor and opened his mouth.

“…Is this foolishness, or are you trying to annoy me on purpose?”

Ji Youngwon let out a deep sigh. Though his words were rough, there was something about Yoohan throwing a tantrum for food that didn’t annoy him.

Watching carefully, Yoohan squatted down to pick up the fallen papers. Rustle, rustle. While he was gathering the papers, Ji Youngwon scanned the office once more. The second-floor floor, which had been littered with dust bunnies, looked quite clean now. The dried branches of the dead potted plants had also been neatly cut away.

“Director, here.”

As Yoohan handed over the papers, Ji Youngwon took them immediately. Their hands brushed against each other for a brief moment. Perhaps it was because he had just been near the electric heater, but Yoohan’s hands felt unusually warm. Ji Youngwon’s right hand was just as warm. Yoohan, pulling his hand back, scratched the spot where they had touched with his thumbnail.

Ji Youngwon quietly observed Yoohan, who was shifting uncomfortably. The tips of Yoohan’s ears were turning a deep shade of pink. Was he embarrassed for being so insistent about asking for food, or was it the fleeting touch of their hands that made him shy? Whatever the reason, the naive innocence didn’t quite match his bold image.

If it were any other day, Yoohan would have been spouting off narrow-minded insults like “that guy” or something similar, but today, his lips were tightly sealed.

And then it happened. Rumble rumble—another thunderous growl echoed from Yoohan’s stomach. In the already quiet office, it felt like his embarrassment multiplied tenfold.

“You’re really something.”

Ji Youngwon tossed the documents back onto the desk with a face devoid of any humor. He strode purposefully toward the entrance, while Yoohan fiddled with his now crimson ears.

“You asked for food. Come on.”

Yoohan quickly caught up to the Director, glancing down at the dark stairwell below. As he stared into the pitch-black abyss, Ji Youngwon suddenly halted in his tracks.

“Do you want to get trapped down there?”

Yoohan squeezed his eyes shut and waved his hands in the air.

“Absolutely not! What a terrifying thing to say.”

“You said you were scared, right?”

“…You were yelling just a moment ago…”

“Yeah, you have good hearing.”

Ji Youngwon resumed walking. When they reached the first floor, he slid his indoor shoes on with a soft shh-shh sound. Despite his straight posture, there was a lazy air to his footsteps.

“By the way, what happened to that person?”

Seizing the moment, Yoohan mustered up some courage. Ji Youngwon shot him a pitying glance, as if to say, “You really forgot my advice to not empathize with the perpetrator just a few hours ago?” It was almost laughable.

“I killed him.”

“What?”

“I killed him because he wouldn’t stop squawking. Want to know how? You can see it if you go down to the basement.”

The color drained from Yoohan’s face. His lips dried up as he halted in his tracks. Ji Youngwon casually tapped the top of the locked glass door with his tall frame. Click. The button turned, and the door swung open. Yoohan, now pale, trembled as he spoke.

“…Is that for real?”

“What is?”

“You’re not serious, right? You’re just joking?”

“Do I look like someone who makes jokes?”

“……”

As Yoohan, who had been following closely, hesitated to come any closer, Ji Youngwon turned around.

“Choose one: a knife, a hammer, a rope, or an axe.”

The buildings and roads, having completed their daily duties, were eerily silent. The bustling restaurants were on the opposite side, and aside from the few late-night workers, there weren’t many people around.

Facing Yoohan, Ji Youngwon stuffed his hands into the pockets of his training suit and slowly walked backward. Yoohan took a deep breath, trying to piece together the various words that had struck him. Knife, hammer, rope… why the tools all of a sudden…

“Director, what are you talking about…?”

“If you guess how I killed him, I’ll buy you something delicious.”

Yoohan instinctively covered his mouth. Ugh.

Even though it was a childish and ridiculous joke, he reacted transparently. For Ji Youngwon, it was a very satisfying reaction. Watching Yoohan gag as if he were about to throw up, he drove the point home.

“By the way, I dumped the body at the restaurant next door.”

There was a strangely humorous tone to his words. Standing still on the sidewalk, Yoohan felt utterly deflated.

“…Hah…”

As he slowly lowered his hands, the redness from pinching his mouth revealed itself. At the same time, a look of resentment directed at Ji Youngwon emerged in his eyes.

“There’s a time and place for jokes.”

Yoohan managed to respond, sounding like someone whose throat had been choked. Just one word about killing had sent him into a panic, which suggested that his trust in Ji Youngwon was lower than expected. After all, they had only known each other for a short time, and Gu Kangsan’s description of him as a ruthless person probably didn’t help.

When the reaction turned out to be less dramatic than expected, Ji Youngwon shrugged his shoulders in disappointment. If he were to list how many bodies he had disposed of, Yoohan might just faint. Although this time it was a joke, it wasn’t entirely false that people had died in this place. Turning his body again, he stopped in front of the restaurant.

Yoohan tightened his cardigan around himself, trying to calm his pounding heart. Throwing around such low-quality jokes about human lives… He was definitely a psycho. While he mentally cursed, Ji Youngwon stepped into the restaurant.