TE Ch 23

“Are you having a wake or something? Why the somber mood? You were all chattering away earlier, why the sudden silence?”

“…..”

With his elbow resting on the table, Mookyeong alternated his gaze between Koo Bbing and Manager Yang. When the two remained tight-lipped, pale-faced, he casually flicked the cigarette ash onto the table.

“How are you going to pay me? Are you going to borrow some tails from Madam Koo?”

“O-Of course, we’ll pay. Who said we wouldn’t? We might be a little short even if we use the house’s money…”

As Manager Yang submissively made his excuses, Mookyeong’s eyes narrowed. He raised his eyebrows, and a deep wrinkle formed above his single-lidded eye.

“So…”

“We were just playing for fun since we were bored… We never expected Boss Mookyeong to hit it big like this. Koo Bbing, d-do we have enough cash to lend?”

Manager Yang pointedly called out to Koo Bbing, who was out of it. Only then did Koo Bbing, who had turned pale, run his hand through his hair and catch his breath.

“Cash, cash…”

Hongju’s gaze landed on the two June cards lying on the table. He wouldn’t be framed for cheating again, would he? He had no attachment to the money since it wasn’t his in the first place, but the thought of the scolding and suspicion that would follow after Mookyeong left made his heart race. He hadn’t touched the cards, so he was truly innocent this time. He bit his lip, and the taste of blood spread in his mouth.

“I know you have your circumstances, so I don’t want to be too harsh.”

Mookyeong clicked his tongue and took a long drag of his cigarette. Koo Bbing, who had caught a glimpse of hope, quickly seized the opportunity.

“Right! It’s just that the employees were playing for fun, and as their boss, I couldn’t just ignore it.”

Having taken a step closer to the table, Koo Bbing began to make excuses in earnest to defuse the situation.

“They don’t have thousands or millions on them. I could lend it to them, but… you know, we’ve put a lot of money into the construction, so it’s a bit difficult to get cash right now. If we empty it all out, we’ll have to close the business for a few days…”

“That’s not my problem. I was going to give you some leeway, but why are you making excuses?”

“That’s not it! If you give me some time, I’ll take responsibility and make sure they pay you back. It’s not like I’m saying let’s forget about it.”

He begged, saying he wouldn’t run off with the money. There was no way Koo Bbing would just hand over the money. He would stall and stall and probably never pay, or he might try something else.

“What should we do?”

Mookyeong tapped the table with his cigarette between his fingers. Seeing his conflicted expression, Koo Bbing and Manager Yang swallowed hard. The sound of their anxious swallowing was clearly audible to Hongju.

“They say money transactions between gamblers should be clean. Should we write an IOU?”

“What, an IOU? That’s a bit harsh between us!”

At the mention of an IOU, Manager Yang jumped. He was pale and looked bewildered. His usually oily face had turned completely white.

He could understand what Manager Yang was feeling right now. Hongju had also experienced that feeling when he was very young. It was so distant that he was glad he could no longer recall it.

“Then I’ll give you some time, so put up collateral.”

“C-Collateral?”

Nodding, Mookyeong took a deep drag from his cigarette. His narrowed gaze lingered on Koo Bbing’s pinky finger. Koo Bbing, turning pale, quickly curled his hand into a fist and hid it behind his back.

“Who’s asking for a finger?”

Mookyeong let out a mocking laugh. Thick smoke flowed from between his lips.

“I’ll take him.”

“Hongju?”

Hongju’s head shot up at being mentioned. He met the gaze that was staring intently at him through the hazy smoke. He wondered how long he had been looking at him. Hongju suddenly found it hard to breathe.

“Or would you rather bet your finger? Or, Manager Yang, your remaining eye?”

“Haha, it’s not that I can’t… But what, is there something urgent you need Hongju for?”

He was worried that he would have to put him out on the streets to collect debts like last time because they were short on cash.

“If I need to use him, I’ll use him somewhere. He was pretty good at holding the cards.”

Mookyeong stubbed out his cigarette on the June card lying on the table. Black ash stained the ‘cheongdan’ written on the card. His lips, which had moved slightly apart, let out a puff of hazy smoke.

“Until you pay me back, I’ll keep the collateral safe, okay?”

Mookyeong picked up the small bag that was lying at Manager Yang’s feet. Then he stuffed the thick stacks of money on the table into the bag. The zipper got stuck halfway because of the money. Mookyeong roughly fastened the handle and got up.

“Follow me.”

He tapped Hongju’s shoulder, who was standing there silently. Even with the command, Hongju couldn’t move. It was because of the three pairs of eyes glaring at him as if they wanted to kill him. Koo Bbing, in particular, was fiercely glaring at him with his lower lip bitten. Having received that gaze his whole life, his body froze instinctively.

“What are you doing, not getting up?”

A large hand reached out from behind. The back of his hand, with its prominent veins, slapped Hongju’s dry cheek. With each touch, his long eyelashes fluttered and he flinched.

“The collateral isn’t moving.”

It was his usual tone, but Hongju knew right away that he was annoyed. He had heard that voice before when he had failed to keep a proper watch on Koo Bbing last time. Three pairs of eyes were glaring at him from the front, and a commanding voice was urging him from behind. No one was patiently waiting for Hongju.

“What do you think you should be listening to right now?”

The voice from behind was overbearing.

“…..”

Hongju knew for sure. He had to take the 1-3 ‘gwang pair’, not the useless two-point hand.

Creak. The chair slid back as he slowly got up. The fierce gazes followed Hongju’s movements. He walked away from the table and stood next to Mookyeong. He looked down at Hongju silently for a while, then turned around and walked ahead. His coat tails fluttered dramatically with each step.

As they walked away from the chilling silence, Mookyeong stopped as if he had just remembered something.

“Ah, Madam Koo.”

He turned around and snatched Hongju’s shoulder, who was about two steps behind him. He pulled his swaying body firmly to his side. Hongju stopped breathing at the sudden whiff of his cologne.

“This isn’t a deal, is it?”

Deal. There were many things that could be called a deal between Koo Bbing and Mookyeong. But if Hongju was involved, there was only one thing Mookyeong could be referring to. He was talking about selling him off cheaply. He remembered the conversation he had overheard while hiding behind the crumbling stairs.

“…..”

The cologne he had thought was fragrant now smelled bitter at the tip of his nose.

When it was dawn, many customers came to the gambling house. Even while crossing the narrow hallway, he ran into three or four regulars. He almost got into an argument when he bumped shoulders with Mookyeong. But the customer just shut his mouth and backed off at Mookyeong’s cold gaze.

“People are so comfortable gambling at home. Why do they insist on coming to this shithole when they have nothing better to do?”

Hongju occasionally looked up at his lips. It was because the gambling house was particularly noisy today, making it difficult to hear Mookyeong’s voice. Perhaps sensing his persistent gaze, Mookyeong glanced down as he headed for the stairs. Seeing Hongju staring intently at his lips, he silently curled up the corners of his mouth.

“Are you so desperate to be sold off?”

“…What?”

He seemed to be saying something, but he couldn’t hear it properly because of the shouting coming from inside. Hongju licked his lips and narrowed his eyes, focusing again.

But instead of answering, Mookyeong quickened his pace. He ended up practically stumbling down the stairs. Hongju had to focus on his footsteps, afraid that he might fall if he didn’t concentrate. As they descended to the lower floor, the noise gradually subsided. There was only the sound of shoes stepping on the stairs and the sound of sneakers awkwardly following behind.

“I’m helping you pay off your debt, and I’m even matching your rhythm so you don’t get hit.”

Before he knew it, Mookyeong continued to speak.

“I’m even willing to give you your virginity. You’ve caught a real sucker.”

“…What do you mean?”

Only now did Hongju fully understand and frowned, struggling to break free. But the grip on his shoulder only tightened.

“What do you mean? I’m telling you to get in the car.”

He gestured with his chin towards the car parked closest to the entrance. Hongju swallowed hard. Taking his virginity and all that. He had believed that even though he was scary and violent, he wouldn’t torment him like this.

Hongju bit the inside of his bruised cheek, trying to endure the pain. Mookyeong threw the money bag into the back seat and then opened the passenger door.

“I thought you weren’t interested in that sort of thing.”

Standing in front of the wide-open passenger door, Hongju spoke hesitantly. It was dawn, so the wind blowing was particularly cold and chilly.

“I thought you just wanted me to do as I was told. Not this… Not this kind of thing.”

Holding the door, Mookyeong leaned on one leg and tilted his head. He was dressed neatly, but with that expression and posture, he looked very unruly. He looked more like a thug than a boss.

“Yeah. You just have to do as you’re told.”

“I sent the messages, I kept watch, and I answered all your questions. I even told you about the marked cards. Why–”

“But why aren’t you listening when I tell you to get in the car?”

Hongju, at a loss for words, just silently blinked his lips. Technically, that was also something he had to obey…

“Interest can be gained when you have none, and lost when you have it, can’t it?”

“…..”

“You were like that, too. One moment you said you wouldn’t keep watch, and the next you were jumping into my car saying, ‘Please don’t come, I’m begging you.'”

Mookyeong dragged out the end of his words, imitating a crying sound. He even wiggled his eyebrows as he looked at Hongju, who was staring up at him.

“Isn’t that right?”

“That was all for your sake, Boss Mookyeong…”

He was about to make an excuse when Mookyeong stomped his foot hard. It seemed that his patience, which had been matching his pace, had run out.

“Stop talking and get in, now.”

Mookyeong’s large hand pressed down on Hongju’s head without any consideration. He practically shoved him into the passenger seat and slammed the door shut.