✽013

At that, Kang Ju-wan’s expression shifted oddly.

“…You want me to believe that?”

“Of course.”

The other party’s casual response made Kang Ju-wan feel like he was the one acting strange. He couldn’t hide his disbelief as he asked.

“…Then why the hell am I tied up like this? Why have you cut off the circulation to my body?”

Shin Hwi-kyung reacted with an ‘Ah’ as if he had just remembered the main point.

“Oh, about that… I want you to do something for me.”

“No way.”

Kang Ju-wan immediately responded. Shin Hwi-kyung, sitting on the bed, looked a bit shocked.

“Why?”

“Would you do it if you were me? What could I possibly do with a freak who ties people up like a dog?”

“Hmm…”

Shin Hwi-kyung thought for a moment before speaking.

“At least hear me out.”

“Whatever you suggest, there’s no way it’s a normal job. I’m not listening, and I’m not doing it.”

Kang Ju-wan turned his head, trying to ignore the headache pounding in his skull. If the pain in his head would stop, he planned on using his hypnosis to escape and deal with this bastard once and for all. He thought he’d met all kinds of strange people in his long life, but Shin Hwi-kyung was easily in the top five. There was nothing good about staying with him.

Then, Shin Hwi-kyung spoke with a voice full of regret.

“I didn’t expect you to be this uncooperative. You owe me for the Seo-Yeon thing.”

“Bullshit. I’ve already repaid you for that.”

“I don’t want to do this either… but if you keep being like this, I might have to suddenly call for an inspection at the club where you work. That could cause some trouble for Choi Gyu-hyuk, don’t you think?”

“A host bar isn’t illegal since it’s considered a restaurant. And male escorts aren’t exactly defined as illegal either.”

Kang Ju-wan responded sharply, unaffected by the usual cheap threats he’d heard countless times. Shin Hwi-kyung chuckled.

“I know. So, I was thinking about the underage employees, to push for something. That might cause some fines, don’t you think? I’ve heard your business has been slow lately.”

Kang Ju-wan snorted at that.

“Do you think the police in Korea are stupid? Do whatever you want. We’ve never hired any underage workers, so we’re clean.”

“Well, there’s no place that doesn’t have a little dust in it. Something will stick eventually.”

“Do whatever you want. It’s your money, not mine.”

Even if he was forced to pay a fine, it wouldn’t affect Ju-wan’s vast wealth in the slightest. The crazy bastard in front of him had been injecting people with needles, kidnapping them, and chaining them up, making it seem like he was involved in something big—but his threats were nothing more than street thug tactics.

Ju-wan felt somewhat relieved by Shin Hwi-kyung’s level. It seemed like this was something he could deal with and move on from quickly.

However, at that moment, Shin Hwi-kyung’s eyes widened.

“It’s your money. You’re the boss, so why are you acting like it’s someone else’s problem?”

Ju-wan’s eyes widened in surprise. Shin Hwi-kyung, noticing his shock, continued nonchalantly.

“Choi Gyu-hyuk is just a proxy. Looking at the flow of funds, it seems like it all eventually comes to you, though. You’re the actual boss, aren’t you? So why go through the trouble of putting on that act? No, don’t answer. Let me guess. It was easier to run the business with a brute as the front, right? And you also needed to keep up the act of being just another host to avoid drawing too much attention. Plus, it probably made it easier to charm women, too.”

Ju-wan bit his lip without realizing it. How much had this bastard found out?

Seeing Ju-wan’s silence, Shin Hwi-kyung grinned and pulled something from his suit pocket. It was Ju-wan’s black wallet and phone. He pulled out Ju-wan’s ID from the wallet, turning it over in his hands as he spoke.

“…How much do you think this would cost to fake? About 600,000 won? I’m not sure about the market price these days.”

It was accurate. Ju-wan found himself unconsciously looking away, his eyes desperately darting around. He had no idea exactly what had happened, but it seemed like all his personal information had been exposed.

In that moment, it seemed best to act like a foreigner who had entered the country illegally. Ju-wan quickly adjusted his expression to appear humble.

“Th-thank you, boss. Please, don’t report me to the police…”

Shin Hwi-kyung burst out laughing.

“You’ve been saying strange things since earlier. Why would I report a business partner to the police? If anyone, it would be Choi Gyu-hyuk.”

“Why? What did he do?”

“Tax evasion, running an illegal club, violence… the list goes on. But these things aren’t a big deal.”

Suddenly, Shin Hwi-kyung’s eyes grew cold.

“Choi Gyu-hyuk actually killed someone in the past. His father.”

For a moment, Ju-wan’s face, which had been showing a cowardly expression, froze. Shin Hwi-kyung casually waved his hand, as if discussing trivial details.

“I know, I know. It ended with no charges. The record says he died from being attacked by a dog. But… don’t you know better?”

“What?”

Ju-wan opened his eyes wide, forcing an innocent expression. But in his mind, he was imagining tearing Shin Hwi-kyung to shreds. How on earth did this man know about Choi Gyu-hyuk’s father? He tried not to swallow but found his throat tightening. With an innocent look, he responded.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

Shin Hwi-kyung chuckled softly, clearly enjoying the back-and-forth with Ju-wan. He swiped through Ju-wan’s phone screen and continued with a grin.

“Choi Gyu-hyuk sent a lot of texts. Twelve texts asking the boss to call him. There were twenty-one missed calls. Looks like you two are pretty close. How did you get so close?”

“…”

“I looked at the photos left at the police station. No matter how I looked at it, the marks on the back of the corpse’s neck didn’t look like dog bites. They looked like human teeth. But there were other injuries on the back of the head too.”

Shin Hwi-kyung turned to Ju-wan with a question.

“What were you two planning?”

At that moment, Ju-wan’s expression turned cold.

One night, when he received a call and went to Gyu-hyuk’s house, the first thing that hit him was the overpowering stench of alcohol and the metallic smell of blood. Ju-wan wrinkled his nose and frowned. From the corner, Gyu-hyuk smiled, his face pale like a sheet of paper.

“Hyung. You’re here?”

Ju-wan was startled. It was a completely different side of Gyu-hyuk from the one he knew. Ju-wan quickly scanned the house, assessing the situation with a stiff face.

Gyu-hyuk’s mother, with her face covered in bruises from the beating, was repeating the words “I killed someone…” over and over from a distance. On the opposite side, a man was sprawled out with his head slammed into the corner of a dresser, his limbs stretched out and his eyes rolled back. Blood was pouring from the back of his head, and a soju bottle was rolling near his feet.

Ju-wan stared at Gyu-hyuk with a blank expression, and Gyu-hyuk spoke calmly.

“I made the final contact. I don’t think I’ll be seeing you again.”

Ju-wan let out a grunt, glanced at his father, and spoke irritably.

“…If we call 119 now, he might survive. But he’ll be a vegetable.”

“Then Mom would have to take care of him, and she’d be suffering again. We don’t even have any money at home.”

“So you want to go to prison in his place?”

“Mom’s too frail to endure it.”

Ju-wan sighed heavily.

“F*ck, are you doing this on purpose because I told you to stop following me?”

“No, hyung. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have even graduated high school. I just…”

Gyu-hyuk’s voice trembled.

“I just feel like I need to thank you right now.”

“You crazy bastard.”

As Kang Ju-wan muttered curses under his breath, he began to mess with his hair, then suddenly spoke to himself.

“Being bitten by a dog and dying… doesn’t really matter, does it?”

“Huh?”

“…Yeah. Let’s go with that.”

Ju-wan didn’t wait for Gyu-hyuk’s response and immediately walked over to his mother. In the dimly lit room, his eyes glowed red.

“Mother, everything you just saw was nothing but a nightmare. Once you wake up after some rest, it’ll all be forgotten.”

At that, Gyu-hyuk’s mother stared at him with a dazed expression before collapsing on the spot. Gyu-hyuk’s eyes widened in shock.

“Hyung, w-what are you doing…?”

However, Ju-wan didn’t respond. Instead, he grabbed Gyu-hyuk’s unconscious father with one hand and sank his teeth directly into the wounded spot on the back of his head.

“…!”

A sickening crunch echoed as flesh tore. Watching Ju-wan drink his father’s blood, Gyu-hyuk instinctively clamped both hands over his mouth. Ju-wan, feasting on a human being, was a monster in every sense of the word.

Time seemed to blur. When Ju-wan finally wiped the blood-stained corners of his mouth with the back of his hand, he approached Gyu-hyuk. Trembling uncontrollably, Gyu-hyuk recoiled at the sight of a Ju-wan he’d never seen before. In a low voice, Ju-wan said:

“Stay still. I’ll make sure you don’t remember any of this.”

At that moment, Gyu-hyuk shouted.

“No, I refuse!”

“What?”

The next moment, Gyu-hyuk dropped to his knees at Ju-wan’s feet, looking up at him.

“You just saved me and my mother. I’ll never forget it.”

Ju-wan’s eyes wavered.

In his long life, Gyu-hyuk was the first person to witness him drinking human blood and yet not abandon him. Remembering this made the blood in Ju-wan’s body surge, coursing through him rapidly. At the same time, the sound of rattling chains echoed. The collar hanging from the pillar clanged loudly, as if it might snap at any moment. However, Shin Hwi-kyung showed no sign of surprise. He casually tossed Ju-wan’s phone onto the sofa, as if he couldn’t care less, and said:

“…Don’t want to talk? Then how about I strip you down, leave you tied up, and dump you outside in broad daylight?”

Ju-wan let out a laugh, the kind that conveyed boredom, as if he’d heard this kind of taunt far too many times before.

“You’re a real piece of work, aren’t you? A twisted pervert.”

“But you’re scared, aren’t you?”

For a brief moment, the frenzied movements of Kang Ju-wan came to a sudden halt. Seeing this, Shin Hwi-kyung’s thin lips curled into a mocking smirk as he said:

“…Because you’re a vampire.”