SU | Chapter 1.8

The cruel director left without so much as a goodbye, not even closing the iron door properly. Yoo Han dragged his feet to the door. Peeking out into the hallway, he saw no sign of Ji Youngwon. Only the faint light from the bathroom illuminated the otherwise dark corridor.

Creak—slam. The door shut behind him. Yoo Han scanned the office, its soft lighting creating an oddly moody atmosphere.

“Is this really okay…?”

Mumbling to himself, Yoo Han staggered toward the sofa. The more he interacted with Director Ji Youngwon, the more he felt like he’d made a terrible mistake. Wasn’t it foolish to trust someone who’d practically tossed him leftover convenience store food? Regret gnawed at him.

“Let’s not think about it anymore.”

Exhaustion washed over him. He flipped his bag upside down, shaking out random junk and worn clothes. He fished out a long-sleeved shirt and pajama pants, changing out of his damp t-shirt and tossing it aside. His pale, bare torso seemed to glow faintly in the dim light.

At least he had a place to sleep for now. And he was even getting help finding Kim Minjae without having to pay. It was a kindness he should be grateful for, even if it didn’t feel like it. For now, all he could do was endure until the job was done. Life was hard enough without worrying about the future.

Meanwhile, up on the fifth floor, Ji Youngwon sat in his home, remote in hand, watching the CCTV footage of the second-floor office. On one of the monitors, Yoo Han was changing clothes, rubbing his arms noisily against the cold. The sight made a chuckle escape him.

For a while, Ji Youngwon simply watched the monitor in silence. It felt strange seeing someone lying down in what he’d considered his own private kingdom.

“Little mouse bastard.”

The unexpected toy that rolled in proved entertaining, just as he’d expected. His lips curved into a faint smile as he watched Yoo Han tossing and turning on the sofa.

***

“Ugh…”

Yoo Han grimaced from the stiffness that felt like he had been beaten up all over. Barely opening his eyes, he stared blankly at the yellow ceiling. Where is this place? Within less than three seconds, he had grasped the situation and slowly sat up.

“Ah, is this really a sofa?”

The cheap stuffing in the sofa had collapsed so much that it was almost like lying on a wooden floor. Yoo Han clutched his aching back and yawned heavily with a swollen face. Still, it was a slight improvement compared to the times he had slept sitting in a PC cafe.

Instead of a blanket, he had draped a checkered shirt over himself, which he now carelessly tossed onto the glass table and stretched. Thankfully, the heater had kept him warm throughout the night. Sleeping in a tense position on the hard sofa had caused muscle pain, but it wasn’t severe enough to hinder his daily activities.

“What time is it…”

Yoo Han casually scratched his neck and picked up the cellphone that was by his pillow.

“Seven fifty… minutes…”

Ah…

“…Seven fifty?!”

There was less than ten minutes left until he had to start work. He had slept through his alarm. Panicking, Yoo Han scrambled to gather the belongings he had strewn about the night before. With no money, he had made a deal to clean, but now the office table and sofa were a complete mess because he had overslept.

Yoo Han quickly shoved his belongings into his bag and threw on a cardigan he hadn’t managed to pack. He did have a cheap jacket, but even that had been taken by Kim Minjae, leaving him without proper outerwear. Ruffling his messy hair, he pulled a toothbrush from the front pocket of his bag.

“It’s messed up.”

The noisy chatter from outside started to seep through the door. The stomping was so loud that it echoed inside the office.

“So when I showed him the documents yesterday… The look on his face was definitely caught off guard. You know what I mean, right, you bastard… Anyway, did you get all the receipts?”

The murmuring voices gradually turned into clear speech. Yoo Han, with a dazed expression, shoved his toothbrush back into his pocket. He quickly grabbed his bag from the sofa and stood up, pressing close to the wall, ready to bolt as soon as the door opened. No matter what, he couldn’t let his first interaction with the Speed Errand crew be with his swollen, just-awoken face. And the thought of facing Ji Youngwon looking like this tightened his stomach with anxiety.

“Anyway, the director will handle it well…”

Just as he heard those last words, the door swung open with a bang. It was opened so forcefully that both iron doors slammed against the walls.

“Ah!”

Yoo Han, who was standing by the wall, banged his head against the left iron door. The pain and shock made him cry out involuntarily, and tears welled up in his eyes.

Startled by the sudden scream, the burly men entering the office hesitated. Gu Kangsan, the manager, and Ji Youngwon, the director, joined a total of ten men at the door.

“Huh? What’s with this guy?”

A bald man, similar in build to Gu Kangsan, pointed at Yoo Han while gesturing wildly. Yoo Han, trapped between the wall and the door, rubbed his head and timidly showed himself.

“Ah, hello. Nice to meet you…”

Ji Youngwon, arriving a bit late among the group of burly men, chuckled upon seeing Yoo Han’s state. His forehead was so red it seemed like a bump could form, and his hastily thrown-on gray cardigan had slipped down one shoulder. His swollen face and the bird’s nest in his hair all pointed to oversleeping.

“I really dislike lazy folks. This is making me regret things from day one.”

Ji Youngwon’s voice dripped with sarcasm. Yoo Han apologized in a shrinking tone, set his bag down, and pulled out his toothbrush.

“Uh, I’ll get ready quickly.”

Without waiting for a response, he ducked his head and weaved through the men, hurrying out. The office, previously noisy, fell silent as the men watched Yoo Han pass with curious eyes. Finally escaping to the hallway, Yoo Han rushed to the bathroom.

“What’s with that little mouse, Director?” Among many words, “little mouse” particularly stuck in his ear. He had a feeling he’d be called that more often than his name.

Unable to wash his hair, he quickly wet the back of his head. After a hasty cleanup, Yoo Han cautiously opened the office door again. Expecting to hear the men chattering, he found them unusually quiet.

Yoo Han walked silently toward the sofa area. Ji Youngwon stood with his hands in his pockets, speaking to the line of men seated across the sofa. The men listened intently to the director’s serious words, their demeanors quite intimidating. Ji Youngwon gestured, and Gu Kangsan repeatedly fetched documents to hand to him.

“This week, there’s no backup from Seongshim Planning, and anything trivial coming through the office or over the phone, Gu Kangsan should mostly discard.”

“Yes. Though if there’s spare time, I’ll send some guys out.”

The briefing, often disorganized on Monday mornings, stretched on, led by Ji Youngwon and Gu Kangsan.

“Accepting 200,000 won only to spend 180,000 won on operating expenses? Are you looking to get scolded?”

“Sorry.”

The meeting dragged on as usual. The old digital clock on the desk read 8:52. Yoo Han stood biting his nails, unable to decide what to do.

“These gangsters seem pretty thorough…”

Ji Youngwon’s words and the other employees’ discussions barely registered. Half the conversation was slang, hard to decipher, and Yoo Han was too preoccupied with his role as bell runner to pay much attention.

Occasionally, Ji Youngwon snapped his fingers, and one of his cronies quickly provided a cigarette and lighter. Ji Youngwon, without using his hands, put the cigarette in his mouth and exhaled a deep puff of smoke.

Yoo Han watched blankly. Though he looked like a rich young master, his behavior was rougher than any thug. Perhaps that was why Ji Youngwon’s gestures mixed boredom and desire in an awkward duality. Even if someone was a stranger, you could usually get a shallow read on them after half a day, but understanding Ji Youngwon seemed far off. As the meeting dragged on, Yoo Han’s mind floated with more and more idle thoughts.

Ji Youngwon flicked the cigarette ash onto the floor, smirking mischievously. Yoo Han kept catching his eye, his naive demeanor looking almost endearing in its stupidity.

“You stand there well.”

At this unexpected remark, the men turned their heads towards Yoo Han. Nervously biting his lip, Yoo Han stood awkwardly as the focus shifted to him.

“…Hello.”

With nothing else to say, he bowed deeply at 90 degrees. Ji Youngwon flicked the shortening ash from his cigarette.

Gu Kangsan, who had been restlessly watching the director, looked uneasy. Yoo Han, having just woken up, seemed out of place stuck in the office. Ji Youngwon, unusually silent, didn’t say a word, nor did anyone else probe. It was as if they had already known he’d be there, a too convenient scene that felt oddly uncomfortable.

“Kangsan.”

Shit. That tone. Gu Kangsan’s spine chilled as Ji Youngwon called him with a smile.

“Our Yoo Han seems quite loyal.”

“…Yes?”

“He wouldn’t sell your name even if it killed him.”

The color drained from Yoo Han’s face. Whether Ji Youngwon was joking or not, the listeners’ hearts sank. His expression, unreadable and detached, added to the unease.

The other employees, puzzled, looked back and forth between Manager Gu Kangsan and the young man whose name they didn’t know.

“That loyalty is what’s keeping you around, so behave yourself. One more mess-up, and then…”

Gu Kangsan bowed his head like a man awaiting judgment.

“There’s a way to take you down.”

Down? Yoo Han tilted his head, puzzled by the cryptic statement.

“Introduce the little mouse yourself. I’m tired of talking.”

Ji Youngwon suddenly gestured towards Yoo Han, and Gu Kangsan, pale-faced, stood up.

“You, come here.”

Ji Youngwon flicked his hand, signaling Yoo Han to approach. Yoo Han’s steps were stiff, and he had to continually wipe his sweaty palms on his thighs as he walked. When he finally stood in front of the group, his body tensed up with nerves. The men sprawled on the cramped sofa, legs spread wide, looked at Yoo Han with a mix of wariness and curiosity.

‘How in the world does that ahjussi have tattoos even inside his ears? Is that even possible?’

Their bodies were adorned with tattoos of the twelve zodiac animals, each one detailed and prominent. Apart from Ji Youngwon, who was dressed in a suit, everyone wore casual clothes that did little to hide their ink. Despite it being mid-winter, one ahjussi was clad only in a short-sleeved tracksuit, revealing tattoos that extended to his fingertips and the nape of his neck. Gu Kangsan, with his gold-capped teeth, seemed relatively normal by comparison.

As Gu Kangsan pondered Ji Youngwon’s cryptic remark, he awkwardly placed a hand on Yoo Han’s shoulder.

“This is Yoo Han. The director decided just yesterday to employ him as a bell runner staff member. He’ll be staying with us for a while, so just know that, and treat him gently. Don’t scare him.”

“Gently.”

“Ah, yes, gently.”