KTSR | Chapter 44

Two hours later, the mayor, now quite tipsy, got into the car.

“I’ll make sure to put in a good word with the chairman.”

“Sure. Chairman Choi—I’ve heard a lot about him. They say he’s a real man with a big heart, hic. I’ve wanted to greet him for a long time, hic. This is great. Hic.”

The mayor, hiccuping repeatedly, gave an address that wasn’t his home. He was so out of it that he was openly calling out the name of his mistress instead of his wife. Kwon Hyeongdo memorized the name in his head and bowed deeply.

After the car completely disappeared into the darkness, he unbuttoned his jacket and put his hands in his pockets. He was dying for a cigarette. He lined up three cigarettes in his front pocket to chain-smoke and called Chairman Choi. The chairman answered before he could take two puffs.

[So, did you greet him well?]

“Don’t make me do this kind of thing again. There are plenty of people who are better at it than me.”

When Kwon Hyeongdo grumbled, Chairman Choi laughed heartily. He could hear a child’s voice calling “Grandpa, Grandpa” nearby. It seemed like he was happily spending time with his grandchild while making Kwon do this bothersome task.

[It’s better to nip troublesome things in the bud. So, does he seem like someone worth connecting with?]

“He’s useless.”

Kwon Hyeongdo spat and lit his second cigarette.

“His mouth is damn loose.”

[Really? How can a man’s mouth be so light?]

“And the world is changing. It’s better for you to stay away from those who’ve dabbled in politics. Don’t get involved openly. Didn’t you get caught up in some scandal or prison sentence before?”

[I’ve already paid five thousand and held a big ritual for that. I even got a talisman. Want one?]

Five thousand probably means five million won. He spent five million on a ritual. Kwon Hyeongdo scratched his nose with his thumb holding the cigarette, letting out a laugh of disbelief.

“Do you have that much money? What’s the point of listening to a shaman?”

[It’s a reliable place. They even predicted I’d get stabbed, so I only lost a kidney. Hey, I even asked about you. They said you have five wandering spirits but might settle down soon. Did you secretly buy a house or have a baby?]

“I don’t have anything like that.”

Kwon Hyeongdo answered immediately, but for a fleeting moment, Seon Ijin’s face flashed through his mind. It was such a brief moment that even Kwon Hyeongdo didn’t realize it.

“Enough with the nonsense. Chairman.”

Kwon Hyeongdo lowered his voice, calling him Chairman instead of old man. Chairman Choi seemed to sense the seriousness of the matter and moved to a quieter place. It sounded like he went into a room as a door closed, and it became silent.

“Sending me here means you’re prepared to accept whatever I do, right?”

[Why? Did you find something?]

“Not really. I have a knack for sensing things without needing five thousand.”

Kwon Hyeongdo muttered, stamping the ground with the uncomfortable tip of his shoe.

“I know you expected there might be a leak from the inside from the start. You know I don’t like petty internal power struggles. So, no matter who’s involved, I’ll let you know before I take action, so don’t misunderstand and get upset.”

By now, all the cigarettes in Kwon Hyeongdo’s pocket were gone. He got into the car and drank some water with a thin layer of ice. He quickly crushed the empty plastic bottle and threw it outside. It’s a headache. Doing something he doesn’t want to do makes him restless.

[Alright, alright. I sent you knowing that. I know you’re not greedy for a gangster. So, let me know if you find anything. You can’t underestimate the Incheon Port gang. It’ll be a headache if a fight breaks out. You know I’m trying to elevate our company, right?]

Chairman Choi changed his mind after seeing his grandchild. But that didn’t mean his past would simply disappear. Nor did he intend to suddenly let go of everything and embrace a life of non-possession. Instead, he planned to transform everything he held—like switching from Chinese red pepper powder and imported anchovies to domestic ones.

Chairman Choi intended to take his organization, along with the company he had built on its foundation, and turn it into a fully legitimate enterprise.

“I only have a vague sense of things now. I’ll organize it properly and report it when I find something, so take care of yourself.”

Kwon Hyeongdo’s tone returned to normal. A warm laugh accompanied by a curse that sounded like “ssekki” returned.

After ending the call, Kwon Hyeongdo reached for a cigarette, only to realize the pack was empty. He cursed under his breath. Sitting idly, the alcohol hit him belatedly. He wasn’t completely drunk, but his body felt relaxed and slightly warm. Loosening his tie, he leaned back, legs spread—his half-erect member faintly outlined beneath the fabric.

As he caught the tail of his drunkenness, a flawed yet pretty thing floated up. Seon Ijin.

***

On race day, Ijin’s condition was far from good. Although he managed to suppress his cold symptoms, his groin was extremely sore, and his pelvis was in no better shape.

The swelling hadn’t subsided yet. He wasn’t sure if applying horse oil ointment would help, but he had no choice but to slather it on. His stomach felt queasy. Putting on his riding gear was a struggle, and the tight clothes pressed harshly against the raw inside of his thighs, causing him to wince in pain.

“Damn bastard. Worse than an animal. If you can’t control your damn thing, are you an animal or a human? Just because you walk on two legs? Your head’s attached to your dick. You senseless bastard.”

Ijin cursed Kwon Hyeongdo nonstop.

No matter how much he cursed, it wasn’t enough. He knew his body wouldn’t miraculously heal just from venting, but experiencing it was a different story. Even Ppochi, who was under the delusion that Kwon Hyeongdo had taken his place, said this as soon as he saw Ijin today.

― In terms of rank, I’m next after the executive director. Keep yourself in check and wait, Seon Ijin. Got it?

The team leader said this and gave Ijin a hard smack on the butt. At that moment, Ijin thought his tailbone would shatter. It was Woo Cheolyong who stopped Ijin from lunging at the team leader with the intent to strangle him.

― Ijin, hey, hey. Calm down, okay? Just hold it in!

Woo Cheolyong lifted him up and placed him in the stable, and only then did Ijin take in his surroundings. Having completely forgotten his earlier outburst, Ijin looked at Woo Cheolyong blankly and asked.

― Hyung, why are you here?

Woo Cheolyong sighed in relief, seeing Ijin, who had been ready to kill moments ago, suddenly calm down.

― You didn’t used to get this angry. Why are you so wild these days? You know there’s a difference between fighting with words and fighting physically, right?

― ……

Ijin stubbornly turned his head away like a younger brother who wouldn’t listen.

Seeing this, Woo Cheolyong gave a bitter smile and tried to soothe Ijin in a different way. As he spoke, his gaze lingered on the bite marks and lip marks on Ijin’s neck.

― I don’t know. They told me to stay here for a while and study to become a trainer on the side.

Ijin snapped back to reality at the mention of becoming a trainer.

Could it be Kwon Hyeongdo? It seemed like they couldn’t find a proper trainer and were planning to use Woo Cheolyong unofficially. Anyway, having someone was better than no one. And since it was Cheolyong, who usually took care of the horses, he was trustworthy.

Yeah. Up until then, Ijin’s feelings towards Kwon Hyeongdo had slightly, just a little, softened.

But as soon as he entered the paddock and mounted the horse, Ijin began to hate Kwon Hyeongdo as much as before, if not more.

“Ah… it really… really hurts.”

Ijin groaned, awkwardly bending over while holding the saddle. His waist, tailbone, the area between his thighs, and the gap between his buttocks all ached. Whether he lifted his body halfway using his thighs or bent his upper body while sitting, it was clear that any position would be painful.

Ijin bit his lip.

“I should at least put on a patch. If not, maybe a painkiller….”

Muttering to himself, Ijin looked feverish.

When he entered the makeshift office-cum-rest area, which was too shabby to be called a medical room, the musty smell was overwhelming. Ijin pinched his nose and opened all the drawers, but there was nothing useful—half-used band-aids, Viagra, and a torn, abandoned patch.

Ijin hesitated with the nearly useless patch in hand and stuck it on his back. He wasn’t sure if he applied it correctly.

“Isn’t there any painkiller…?”

As he rummaged deeper, he grabbed something. It looked like a medicine packet, and when he pulled it out, it was an opaque parchment. It was a medicine packet about half the size of his palm.

“…….”

Ijin realized what this déjà vu was. It looked similar to what Kwon Hyeongdo had called table salt. He couldn’t see the contents, but he could tell it was something similar—or perhaps the same—as ‘salt.’

While Ijin stared at it blankly, an unwelcome guest interrupted. It was Ippal—the one Ijin had bitten hard. In the meantime, he seemed to have grown even more vicious. The guy who once looked like nothing more than a back-alley thug now carried a slightly more menacing aura. He had barely shed his petty criminal, thug-like vibe, yet now he faintly reeked of a gangster.

But Ijin didn’t bat an eye.

Ippal scowled fiercely at him.

“What are you doing here?”