KTSR | Chapter 1

Seon Ijin loved horses more than people.

And in response to his love, humans betrayed him, while horses did not.

That’s how Seon Ijin got here.

Things weren’t twisted from the start. To fall from a height and endure a long and difficult descent, one must have been up high to begin with. Ijin was a promising jockey, recognized for his talent and enthusiasm. Moreover, his goal was clear.

Seon Ijin’s goal was money. More than anything, he needed money urgently. Although he received expensive equestrian training as a special scholarship student, it wasn’t enough to sustain his livelihood.

That’s why, as soon as he became an adult, he registered with the Horse Racing Association and raced as a horse racing jockey.

At the entrance to the racetrack stood a statue of a horse with its hooves raised high, and while the jockey could not be the protagonist, Ijin was content. He could make a living, take care of himself adequately, and his records were decent.

Above all, apart from his goal, he loved horses.

No, it was also his goal. Seon Ijin wanted to earn a lot of money to own his horse and make it part of his family. He loved them that much. Watching them gaze back at him with deep, dark eyes made all his troubles disappear. He loved their manes, their strong bodies, and their stiff yet glossy fur and body heat.

Thus, it was only natural for Ijin to take on the weight of his own life and sink rapidly into the mire, while also taking on the weight of his horse. His horse Clover had transferred ownership from its original owner, who was also his employer, to him, but Seon Ijin himself was owned by others.

“I can’t waste any more time considering Clover’s age… My recent performance isn’t great. This can’t continue.”

Ijin bit his chapped lips. Standing with his hands behind his back, the wear on his riding boots was clearly visible. Just then, the light dimmed momentarily.

“I need to change the fluorescent light. It keeps flickering.”

After blinking his eyes a few times, the light over his dirty boots appeared to be stable. It had been flickering just moments before. Did I see it wrong? Ijin looked up at the ceiling when a young thug approached him and snapped.

“Hey, kid. I told you to keep your head down.”

“Hey, isn’t it time to change the light? Aren’t you going to change it?”

The young thug sneered at Ijin, who only spoke rudely.

“Change what? I just changed it yesterday.”

“What? What’s this idiot saying?”

Another thug joined in. They laughed and mocked Ijin right in front of him.

“It’s time to change it.”

“Crazy. Now he’s seeing things too.”

Ijin straightened his middle finger hidden behind his back.

He let the thugs’ words go in one ear and out the other. They were the lowest of the low, after all. It’s natural not to understand the squeals of a pig.

As Ijin stubbornly kept his head raised, the thug reached out towards his face. At that ominous touch, Ijin finally flinched.

Amused, the thug smirked. As he reached out further, the office door burst open.

“Send in the next ones.”

A rugged figure with sleeves rolled up and a cigarette in his mouth waved his hand.

Through the opened door, a stench wafted in. The guy who finished last was dragged out by his arms, and a jockey standing next to Ijin began to sob. It was a newbie who hadn’t been here long.

“Hey, you maggots, why aren’t you bringing them in? Got shit in your ears?!”

A booming voice rang out, and Ijin was suddenly pulled into the office. Inside, the linoleum floor was littered with towels, reeking of blood and urine.

The door shut behind them, and the jockeys instinctively lined up.

“Seon Ijin.”

The team leader laid his watch on the desk.

“Did your rank drop?”

One by one, rings clinked next to it.

“How many times is it now? You think it’s easy living here?”

“……”

“Don’t answer, fucker.”

A hand flew at Ijin, slapping his cheek. A high-pitched ringing sounded in his ears. If he kept getting hit like this, he might permanently lose his hearing. But the thugs he was dealing with would only stop if his body was intact, or at least if he was still breathing. He had to protect his eardrums himself.

Despite swaying severely, Ijin managed to stand up. Falling meant more beatings. Living with them a bit, you’d learn that. They’re not human; they’re beasts. When a person falls, they don’t help; they hit more.

“Come here.”

The team leader beckoned like calling a dog.

Taking three steps forward, the team leader kicked at Ijin’s legs.

“Hey, can’t you ride if you become crippled?”

“I guess not, boss, team leader.”

A thug almost said ‘brother’ but quickly corrected himself.

“Well… being crippled doesn’t mean you’re useless.”

Ijin wasn’t the kind to lose spirit just because he couldn’t use a leg. Some even said that to break his spirit, a few teeth would need to be knocked out. If it were anyone else, they would have done it long ago, but the Boss had said to leave him be. As long as his shell was intact, there were ways to exploit a jockey even after he was squeezed dry.

“Would missing four front teeth really matter? The aim of these thugs is to see their dicks in that mouth of his. But the moment they try, they’d be bitten off. The thugs despised the name Seon Ijin, yet they were obsessed with him.

Two years after the previous team leader left, the current one, who was more commonly known by his nickname ‘Ppochi’, rather than ‘team leader’, kicked Ijin’s chest hard. The sound was deafening.

“Ah, ugh…!”

Ijin curled up like a snail, trembling. If his ribs were broken, he couldn’t ride. He cautiously felt his side and pressed down. It hurt, but it wasn’t unbearable. Not broken. He felt relieved.

“Seon Ijin. Why do you keep bringing home 4th and 5th places? Do you even know how much the betting money on you has dropped? All this will be added to the debt on your neck. Got it?”

“It’s time to change the stable, but you haven’t called the farrier… Cough! Ugh, ack…!”

Before Ijin could finish protesting, the team leader started kicking again.

The team leader took care of Ijin meticulously. It wasn’t for nothing that he held the title. He kicked Ijin just enough not to break his bones, avoiding his nose and cheekbones, which could disfigure his face.

As Ijin trembled in pain, unable to even groan, the team leader caught his breath. Then he crouched down beside him.

“Looks like our Ijin has no talent for being a jockey, huh? No talent and no aptitude. Should we look for another path? Huh? Should I find you a new job? I think I know one that fits you.”

Crouching, the team leader yanked Ijin up by the collar. He had avoided his face as much as possible, but the first slap had been severe, causing his left eyelid to swell slightly.

“Aw, almost ruined your pretty face. team leader went too far, huh.”

Ijin rolled his eyes away from Ppochi’s disgusting face. It was revolting. What he might say next was predictable.

“It’s not my place to say, but we do pay the jockeys a pittance. But what can we do? We can’t eat by digging up the ground, right?”

The team leader stroked Ijin’s face and tsked. It was despicable.

“We’re not running a charity here. You hate us too, right? So let’s get this over with quickly. Ijin, a lot of clients have their eyes on you. Especially the elders. They say it’s nice to see our Seon Ijin jiggle in the saddle, they come here even though they’re not interested in horse racing.”

Riding was his profession, his pride, and his life. To think it had been reduced to mere pornography for some. Ijin clenched his fists, trembling with anger. Regardless, the team leader wheedled.

“Ijin, you’re popular. But how long are you going to act so cocky? I see you several times a week, I know how much shit you stir up.”

“…I’d rather die than do that.”

Ppochi grabbed Ijin’s collar again. The pressure made him cough violently. As Ijin struggled, Ppochi watched for a while before finally loosening his grip just as Ijin’s eyes were rolling back.

“It’s sad to see you acting so foolishly, you know? It’s not like we’ve only known each other a year or two.”

“…We’ve known each other for more than a couple of years.”

Ijin had been rolling in this dirt for just over two years and was moving into the third. Clover was nearing the average retirement age for a racehorse. There wasn’t much time left. Ppochi was becoming more explicit because of this.

“Just your mouth is alive.”

The team leader muttered stiffly with a laugh.

“How nice would it be if you used that octopus-like mouth for other things, right guys?”

“Yes! That’s right, sir!”

The gangsters at a higher rank than the young thugs laughed and jeered. Ijin felt humiliated as if he had been spat on all over.

Ppochi waited a moment, then seeing no sign of change in Ijin’s thoughts, he let go. Ijin fell backwards, nearly hitting his spine on the floor but managed to roll away just in time.

“Two weeks. Let’s see some good work in two weeks. Run like your ass is on the line. Of course, it’s fine if you just run without your ass on the line…”

The barely audible snickering was unbearably disgusting. The specific deadline sent chills down Ijin’s spine. Seeing Ijin’s distress, the thugs laughed uproariously, making gestures and laughing as Ppochi signaled to them in the air.