KTSR | Chapter 32

“You should be the one to pierce your tongue, not me.”

At those words, Ijin’s eyes widened. His gaze was daring Hyeongdo to try such a thing.

Seeing that look, Kwon Hyeongdo’s expression grew serious.

“Gulp, cough. Keouk.”

Surprised, Ijin tried to pull back, but Hyeongdo held onto Ijin’s ear and didn’t let go. He shook Ijin’s head as if trying to help him.

His vision flickered. The sky seemed to darken again. Dizzy, Ijin grabbed Hyeongdo’s thigh.

It was then that the door burst open and Kim Jaeman entered.

“Gulp, cough, gasp! Wait a minute! Ugh!”

Kim Jaeman glanced at Ijin and casually greeted him.

“I’m here.”

“Oh. You’re here?”

Hyeongdo also greeted him as if nothing was happening.

Ijin scratched Hyeongdo’s thigh frantically, but as he ran out of breath, his grip weakened. Only then did Hyeongdo let go.

“Roll it on your tongue like a jade marble, suck it slowly like a lollipop. Sigh… Teaching you is a long road.”

This bastard…

In retaliation, Ijin inhaled sharply. As Hyeongdo’s head was sucked into a vacuum, he finally leaned back and chuckled.

“Yeah, that’s good too.”

Determined to make this bastard finish, Ijin sucked with all his might. The wet sound echoed through the office, and Kim Jaeman turned on the radio. A radio drama filled the office.

Listening to the sad narration and the dramatic breakup of lovers, Ijin waited for Hyeongdo to finish. His veins bulged, and a bitter taste spread on his tongue. After what felt like an eternity, Hyeongdo finally finished. Ijin tried to pull away, but the bastard held his head, leaving no escape.

“Sigh…”

With a low sigh, thick semen poured onto his tongue, unbelievable after three days of continuous action. Hyeongdo didn’t let go until he was completely done. As soon as his hand left Ijin’s head, Ijin sprang up and dashed out of the office.

“Ugh. You know you’re really a bad person, right?”

Hearing the retching sounds beyond the open door, Kim Jaeman stood up with a soda. Hyeongdo, wiping himself with a tissue, nonchalantly asked, “Me?”

Ijin, even after spitting out the semen, tried to vomit by sticking his fingers in his mouth. Without any skill, he only managed to scratch his mouth, resulting in empty dry heaves.

“Here. Drink this.”

Kim Jaeman, who had followed him out, opened a can and offered it. Tears welled up in Ijin’s eyes as he turned his head to look up. Kim Jaeman clicked his tongue and patted Ijin’s back.

“Drink the soda and forget about it.”

“……”

Ijin’s face was flushed, and his lips were torn. Blood mixed with the sticky saliva dripping from his swollen lips, giving it a pink hue.

Ijin wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and spat three times. Still, the fishy and bitter taste seemed to linger. He rinsed his mouth with soda and spat it out. Only after emptying half the can did he take his first sip, feeling a prickling sensation in his throat.

“Just think of it as stepping in shit and play along. He’s not someone who’ll stick around for long.”

“……”

With his head still spinning from the rush of blood, Ijin swallowed the soda.

“Even if he stays, he’s not someone who sticks to one thing for long.”

Crushing the can, Ijin spat again.

Kim Jaeman, wanting to comfort Ijin, thought for a moment.

“I’ve never seen him in a serious relationship. But the people he seemed to date were all…”

Kim Jaeman glanced at Ijin and burst into laughter.

“They were all the complete opposite of you, so don’t worry! Wow, really. Complete opposites.”

“……”

Kim Jaeman clapped his hands, marveling at how opposite they were. Ijin frowned. He couldn’t tell if he was supposed to be happy or not. Not his type, and why a guy with the same thing suddenly got all worked up and came at him, he couldn’t understand Hyeongdo at all.

“Hyung, are you good at singing?”

Suddenly, what was this about?

After thinking for a moment, Ijin shook his head. He remembered how people would burst into laughter when he grabbed the mic at karaoke with the stable folks.

“Really? I thought maybe he heard you sing. Seeing him meet some singers, I thought he might like good singers. Then he must’ve just liked your looks.”

“Does he have an ear for music or something? He’s just full of himself.”

“Haha! Yeah, he does have that side.”

Of course, all of this was just Kim Jaeman’s speculation. Despite being by his side, he knew little about Hyeongdo, especially his personal life. Thinking deeply about it was a bit scary. Hyeongdo knew everything about Kim Jaeman’s family and relatives, yet he knew nothing about him.

Kim Jaeman patted Ijin’s shoulder as if to offer comfort.

“Want more soda? You know, I want you to drink up and get back to work. We’re busy.”

He didn’t forget to awkwardly urge him.

***

Late at night, Kwon Hyeongdo checked the Word document that Ijin had prepared.

According to Kim Jaeman, Ijin immediately understood what the chart meant. He’s quick-witted.

From the second day here, he started looking into the jockeys. He had thought it was just about the horses being fast, but he soon learned that the role of the jockeys holding the reins was crucial. A split-second decision could determine the outcome of a race.

Hyeongdo thought that if Ijin could just manage his fiery temper, uncontrollable anger, and sharp tongue, he might have been used as a thug in the office long ago.

Of course, considering his severe aversion to thugs, he probably wouldn’t have done it even if asked…

Staring at the monitor in the dim office made his eyes tired. He pressed his temples and stretched when someone knocked. Knowing who it was, Hyeongdo opened the door right away.

“You called for me.”

The person standing outside was Bbang.

His nickname here was Bbang, but his real name was Lee Taejin. He had been caught cheating at cards in a gambling house, lost a finger, and ended up here after wandering around.

Bbang looked up at Hyeongdo. As Hyeongdo inhaled, the tip of the cigarette glowed red. When it came close to him, Bbang flinched, startled—but the cigarette wasn’t aimed at his face or neck.

“Come in quickly. It’s cold.”

Hyeongdo warmly grabbed his shoulder and pulled him in.

Hyeongdo stood Bbang in front of the heater. As he warmed his hands, he asked,

“You’ve been around here for a while, right? In terms of experience, you seem like a senior to me.”

“No… It’s not like that.”

“Right. It’s not like that. We’re not in the same situation. But you made some money with marked cards, so why did you get caught? You were doing well.”

Marked cards, also known as black cards, could lead to a big win if done well, but if not, you could lose everything.

But every time he heard that, Hyeongdo found it puzzling. Isn’t that what gambling is all about?

“A guy I worked with stabbed me in the back.”

“Oh dear. That must’ve been frustrating.”

Someone must have approached his colleague to betray him. Having experience in breaking down gambling house signs, Hyeongdo stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray.

“Coffee?”

“I’d appreciate it.”

His response was as stiff as could be. Hyeongdo chuckled at Bbang’s blunt answer.

He stirred a coffee mix packet into a cup and handed it over. Bbang held it with both hands. Hyeongdo glanced at his seven fingers and suddenly asked,

“You know drugs are circulating, right?”

Bbang’s hand paused.

“I’m here to catch that.”

“……”

Was it okay to say this directly to him?

Bbang looked at Hyeongdo, whose face, bathed in the red glow of the heater, remained calm. It was as if he didn’t care whether Bbang told anyone.

Bbang felt as if his stomach were being cut open, his organs slowly removed. He trembled at the sensation.

“Details.”

Bbang’s voice cracked. He tried to clear his throat with a cough.

“Drink slowly, relax, and talk.”

Hyeongdo coaxed him leisurely. Bbang felt like he had entered a tiger’s den. He had braced himself when he was secretly called, but it was more direct than he expected.

“I don’t know the details. I just heard rumors…”

“Rumors are rumors, no matter who says them. Even if you saw it, if you say ‘I heard,’ it becomes ‘I heard.’ What I’m curious about is whether you actually saw it or not.”

“……”

“I don’t like empty promises of taking full responsibility. But I’ll make sure you won’t face any retaliation for this.”

Hyeongdo handed Bbang a cigarette directly. The lighter flickered between them with a hiss.

“I can’t promise a better life, but I’ll make sure you can live as you are now. That’s not bad, right?”

Inside Hyeongdo’s slightly parted lips, a tongue piercing glinted.