TE Ch 20

“Did you win some?”

Hongju was dragged to the table against his will. The can of coffee he was holding was snatched away by Koo Bbing, who then handed it to Mijin.

“I lost. These guys didn’t go easy on me, even though I’m a newbie.”

“These worn-out card sharps are planning to rip off an innocent citizen.”

Koo Bbing chuckled and took Mijin’s coat. He didn’t forget to sweep up the pile of bills on one side.

“I’m going to Gwangpal’s, I’ll drop you off on the way. Hey, Mijin’s friend, get your things too.”

The atmosphere was one of clearing up the game. Then, Doksa sat down in Mijin’s seat and started talking.

“Aww. I thought I could finally play a game without using any tricks, and you’re already leaving?”

“Play more. Who’s stopping you?”

While Koo Bbing and Doksa were setting the mood, Hongju was fidgeting and watching Mookyeong’s every move. He was just tapping on the pile of bills with a playing card tucked between his fingers.

“Then shall we play a few more rounds? How about it, Boss Mookyeong? You seem to have a lot of cash left.”

“Sure.”

“We need one more person… Hongju, you’re not busy, are you? Come here.”

At Manager Yang’s call, Hongju swallowed hard. As he quietly took a step, Mookyeong’s gaze followed him. His bright red lips moved, asking a question like a secret code.

“You said you’re not a card sharp. Do you know how to play?”

That was what Hongju wanted to ask. He said he wouldn’t play, so why did he join the game, and what was he thinking, knowing he was going to be cheated? But with so many eyes watching, he couldn’t say anything.

Manager Yang dragged Hongju to a chair and sat him down. He was on Mookyeong’s left. Perhaps it was because he was wearing his coat over his shoulders, but his physique and presence felt even larger.

“He knows how to play Seotda. I made him fill in a few times. Does Boss Mookyeong know how to play Seotda?”

Mookyeong nodded silently, his eyes meeting Hongju’s.

“…..”

If he had known it would turn out like this, he wouldn’t have taught him how to play. He felt like his breath was caught in his throat.

“Hongju doesn’t have a penny. I’ll give you some allowance, but you have to triple it, okay?”

Mijin tossed a few bundles of ten-thousand-won bills she was holding in front of Hongju. Mijin’s friend, who was next to her, also placed a bundle on top.

“We’ll be leaving first. May you all turn your lives around with a 3-8 Gwang pair.”

“Koo Bbing! Ask someone to bring a new deck of cards here.”

Koo Bbing, who was leaving the room with Mijin and her friend, nodded. Soon, a shout was heard in the hallway, asking a thug to run an errand. While Mookyeong was returning the seed money that Doksa had left earlier, a new deck of cards arrived.

Manager Yang and Doksa took the lead in setting simple rules, and Manager Yang got to be the dealer. Tap, tap, tap, with each elaborate gesture, the cards were shuffled expertly.

“Cut?”

When he held out the deck in one hand towards Mookyeong, he tapped the middle of the deck with his fingertip. It meant he wanted to cut it.

“Okay. Let’s go to school.”

Each of them threw a bundle of their own bills onto the table. Manager Yang dealt the cards one by one with a cheerful hand.

“Get your cards.”

The cards were dealt counterclockwise, and Hongju picked up the ones in front of him and checked them. It was a July suited card.

“Starting off lightly?”

Doksa placed another stack on top of the pile of money, signaling the start.

“Call.”

Hongju, whose turn was next, also placed a million won. The game should have been going, but Mookyeong, sitting next to him, was quiet. He wondered if he was going to fold, and when he looked over, their eyes met. It was as if he had been looking at Hongju the whole time.

“…..”

It was a gaze with an unknown meaning, and Hongju’s face showed his confusion. Mookyeong smirked with an unreadable expression.

“I’ll call, too.”

The betting money piled up steadily until it was Manager Yang’s turn. It felt like everyone was taking it easy at first.

“Let’s go, let’s go.”

Manager Yang dealt another card to each person. Hongju hid his share of the cards in his palm and glanced at the picture.

The additional card was a May card. A July and a May card. The sum was 12, so it was two points. Two points wasn’t a hand worth winning with. Doksa, who also had a bad hand, clicked his tongue and folded.

“Ah, fold.”

But Hongju didn’t fold and raised the bet.

“I’m raising three hundred.”

It was because he thought it would be better to just throw in his all and have this round be over.

Whoosh. Each time a somewhat large stack of money was placed, it slid sideways. Mookyeong kept making a sound like the wind was leaking out as he grabbed some money.

“I’ll take that.”

“Hmm.”

Stroking his chin and buying time, Manager Yang threw two cards down carelessly. He folded.

“I fold. You two show your cards.”

Hongju first flipped over the bright red cards. It was a hand with the conviction that he would lose.

“Two points.”

After confirming the two-point hand, Mookyeong flipped over his cards one by one. Seeing that he had taken the raised bet, he must have been holding a decent hand. Hongju’s gaze was directed at Mookyeong’s fingertips.

“One point.”

A February and a September card. The sum was 11, and the score was one point. It was literally a one-point difference, making Hongju the winner.

“Wow, Boss Mookyeong, what were you so confident about with one point? Do you even know how to play?”

“…..”

Why didn’t he fold when he had such a useless hand? He even knew how to read the cards. Hongju couldn’t show it and just clenched his molars tightly. He creaked as he gathered the cards. Hongju’s hand, shuffling the neatly collected cards, wasn’t fast, but it was still quite natural. Tap, tap. A crisp sound followed a few times. He held the shuffled deck in one hand and held it out to Doksa. He took a few cards from the top and placed them on one side of the table.

Mookyeong now leaned his chin on his hand and started watching Hongju. As he placed the bet, Manager Yang spoke, mindful of Mookyeong.

“Boss Mookyeong. You don’t have to stare so hard. He doesn’t know how to cheat.”

“I’m not looking because of that.”

Hongju glanced at Mookyeong. While placing the bet, Mookyeong still had his unwavering attention on Hongju’s face.

“…..”

Mookyeong wasn’t wary of him using some kind of trick. If he was suspicious, he would have looked at his hands, not his face. Awkwardly averting his gaze, Hongju dealt the cards. Finally, he placed his share of the cards down and belatedly placed his bet.

He slid the cards under his palm and checked them. A March ‘pair’. He had a good bullet, so it was better to just fold this round.

“Fold.”

Mookyeong bet a bundle of bills. Manager Yang, who had a slight smile on his face, seemed excited.

“Shall we raise the stakes a little?”

“Manager Yang, did you get a good hand? You’re making it so obvious.”

Laughing and showing his gold tooth, Manager Yang slid the neatly stacked pile of money to the center. The amount was quite large, so the movement was heavy.

“Call and raise five hundred.”

“Wow, you must have gotten a really good hand. Then I call too.”

Doksa counted out a pile of bills and bet five. On his turn, Hongju threw down his cards.

“I fold.”

Now it was a three-person game. Hongju dealt another card to each of the three. Everyone checked their cards, but Mookyeong didn’t even check and just kept placing stacks of bills. The pile of bills in the center created a thick mound.

“Call and raise another five hundred.”

Hongju frowned slightly. If he kept playing so recklessly, he would lose everything. Mookyeong’s seed money was still piled high, but it would only take a moment to lose it all.

“Oho.”

Manager Yang wiggled his eyebrows and stalled for time. It was obvious that he was thinking hard because he had raised the bet, but no one was folding and just matching it.

“Why is everyone doing this? Tsk, I’m too scared to continue. Fold!”

“I call.”

Doksa also matched the number of bets Mookyeong had placed. After one round, the two opened their cards. This time, Mookyeong showed his cards first.

“9.”

A July card and a February card. It was called a 9, and it was the highest among the point hands.

Was he raising like that after just checking one card? Was he just that bold, or was he just clueless? But his opponent was an active card sharp, Doksa, so he couldn’t let his guard down. Mookyeong didn’t seem to care, but Hongju was the only one who was nervous, his gaze fixed on Doksa’s fingertips.

“Ah, seven points! I could have swept it all.”

Doksa, who had flipped over the cards one by one with a smack, let out a sigh of regret. This round’s pot went to Mookyeong.

As Mookyeong gathered the scattered cards, he gestured to Hongju with his chin. It meant for him to organize the pot.

“…..”

When did he learn to do this? Hongju neatly stacked the pile of money in front of him. By now, a fairly high wall had been built between the two.

Tap, tap, Mookyeong slowly but accurately began to shuffle the cards. Was it because he wasn’t wearing gloves? He felt more skillful than last time. Still, the cards in his large hands looked small.

“…..”

He said he wasn’t the boss, but he had a lot of money and was busy. He said he wasn’t a thug, but he was good with his fists. He said he wasn’t a card sharp and wasn’t interested, but he could shuffle cards quite well. What was Mookyeong’s true identity? Hongju glanced at Mookyeong’s hands out of the corner of his eye.

“You’re looking at my hands?”

Tap, tap. Mookyeong, who had been continuing the act of pulling the cards in the middle to the top, smiled faintly.

“What else should I look at in a card game but hands?”

Hongju straightened up, pretending to be arranging the pile of money. Then, Doksa chimed in, laughing at Hongju’s words.

“Hongju, are you worried that Boss Mookyeong might be palming¹ cards? I mean, there’s an active card sharp right here, you should be suspicious of me!

“That’s saying you’re no big deal.”

Manager Yang added a playful jab with a mix of sincerity. Then he suddenly started chugging the remaining beer. It was clear that he was pretending to be thirsty. Hongju, who was quietly watching Manager Yang, suddenly had Mookyeong’s hand intrude into his field of vision. It was a gesture to cut the deck.

“Cut.”

Hongju lightly tapped the deck with his fingertips. It was a brief gesture, but Mookyeong’s gaze lingered on Hongju’s hand for a long time.

“Let’s go to school.”

Doksa threw a bundle of one million won into the center. At that, everyone raised the stakes. At the same time, Mookyeong also dealt the cards one by one. Each of them picked up their share of the cards and checked them.

“Sigh, I need to see a star to get a pair.”

Doksa muttered loudly, as if he were singing a tune. If he meant a star, it must be the October card with the maple leaf picture. He didn’t know if he was acting like he had an October card or if he really did. One thing was for sure, Manager Yang reacted.

“Stop dreaming about getting a pair, and if you have a bad hand, just fold.”

Manager Yang pushed two stacks of bills, five high, without looking intimidated. The money collapsed and piled up in the center.

“Yes, yes, I’ll call.”

Doksa chuckled and pushed the same number of money stacks. Hongju’s hand was a 10, a ‘cheongdan’. If Doksa also had an October card, there was little chance that he would have a 10-pair, or ‘jang pair’. Then, if the next card wasn’t an April card, he’d be fine. The combination of October and April was a hand higher than all points.

“I call, too.”

Having roughly calculated, Hongju started betting to lose.