Ja-kyung sat on the cafe terrace and watched the people passing by. He didn’t have time to enjoy his daily life because he had been so busy since coming to Korea, but he felt free for a while because he was drinking coffee leisurely. Inside the cafe, people his age or younger sat in groups of twos and threes to study.
Ja-kyung leaned back on the chair and tilted his head back. He’d been awake all night and was exhausted. When he closed his eyes, he heard the car door close. He straightened his body after turning his head. Kang Il-hyun had just gotten out of the driver’s seat after parking his car alongside the road.
He pulled out a chair and sat down in front of him, throwing his car keys on the table.
“I guess you haven’t slept all night. Your complexion is pretty bad.”
He reached out his arm and drank Ja-kyung’s coffee as if it were his own. Sorry. I’m thirsty. Ja-kyung looked at him but said nothing. Kang Il-hyun tapped the table with his fingertips as he sat crookedly in a chair with his legs crossed. That sound squeezed his mind like the watch’s second hand.
When the couple in the back disappeared and only the two of them were left on the terrace, Ja-kyung spoke up.
“I will accept your terms.”
Il-hyun’s fingers stopped moving. As expected, a smile spread across Kang Il-hyun’s face. Ja-kyung clenched his fists under the table.
“Instead, there are conditions.”
“What is it?”
“Increase it by three times.”
Kang Il-hyun was expressionless. That would be 15 million dollars. 18 billion in Korean Won. That’s a ridiculous amount.
“You must pay that amount, plus a penalty for Chairman Kang’s commission.”
“Why the penalty? Because you couldn’t kill me?”
“Yes.”
“Isn’t that a lot of money for that?”
Ja-kyung continued speaking calmly.
“Isn’t that a small amount compared to what the Director gets?”
“It’s bigger than it looks. You say 18 billion is a small amount.”
“If you can’t give it to me, I’ll let go of both sides.”
Kang Il-hyun took off his sunglasses and raised his chin as Ja-kyung tried to stand. He was going to see it, whatever it was because he was in a position to work for money, but wasn’t he a little stiff? When Il-hyun motioned for him to sit down, Ja-kyung sat down and drank the cold water next to him instead of coffee.
Il-hyun chuckled. The fake Zhang Yi An, who was sitting in front of him, was more brazen than he thought. He wasn’t expecting to be intimidated, but he also wasn’t expecting to be asked for more money. Il-hyun, who was unsure, nodded slowly.
“Okay. 15 million dollars. I’ll pay half of it in advance and pay the rest when the job is done.”
“The advance payment must be made before work.”
“It’s difficult right now. It will take three or four days.”
Ja-kyung nodded.
“Is it enough now?”
“Yes.”
“Then you can tell me now.”
What do you want me to tell you? You already know who ordered it.
“I don’t know what you want me to tell you.”
“Your real name. Of course, it’s not Zhang Yi An.”
Ja-kyung remained silent and did not respond. He called himself by more than ten different names. Mr. Wang took him and named him Wang Wei, from which several other names arose. However, he preferred the name Ja-kyung. Even though he hated his parents so much that he wanted to kill them, it wasn’t the same with the name.
Il-hyun smiled absurdly as Ja-kyung stubbornly kept his mouth shut.
“You’re too much. With 18 billion won, can’t you tell me your name?”
Ja-kyung pursed his lips, overly bothered.
“Lee…”
“Lee?”
“Lee…”
Il-hyun’s eyes narrowed. His eyes urged him to speak quickly, and Ja-kyung had no choice but to do so.
“Lee Ja-kyung…”
“Lee, Ja. kyung?”
Kang Il-hyun pronounced each letter one by one as if to confirm. His name came out quite strangely through his voice. Even those who knew him, beginning with Dmitry, rarely knew his original name. What on earth was he thinking? Ja-kyung immediately regretted it, but it was even stranger when he told him and then tried to deny it.
“Your age?”
“Is it important?”
“I’m just curious. Tell me.”
“Twenty-five.”
“Oh, you are four years younger than me. Your parents?”
Ja-kyung frowned. Even though it was a name, he couldn’t understand why Kang Il-hyun even investigated his family register. Kang Il-hyun moved his upper body forward and stared at him with his chin on his palm when he didn’t respond. The flowers on the table swayed gently in the breeze.
Il-hyun then understood and laughed as Ja-kyung remained silent and stared at him.
“Good. No lover, no parents.”
“…”
He smiled brightly, pushed the chair back, and stood up.
“Let’s go home for now. Zhang Yi An must remain in the shed for the time being.”
***
[Dmitry, you son of a b*tch.]
Wang Han’s angry voice could be heard over the receiver. As the employer changed from Dmitry to Kang Il-hyun, Wang Han and Ja-kyung found it difficult.
There was no reason to reject an employer who offered more money here. However, Ja-kyung believed that money was important, but credit was also important. So he thought that choosing Kang Il-hyun might catch his ankle even later.
[Are you really going to do this?]
“Yes.”
[Do you trust him?]
Ja-kyung did not respond immediately. Can he completely trust Kang Il-hyun? He had asked the question numerous times, but it was difficult to draw an accurate conclusion. Even if he said he would withdraw from the current situation, Kang Il-hyun, who knew everything, would not simply back down.
“There is no other way.”
[Shall I go to Korea?]
“No. If hyung also makes a move, it will only make you stand out more. Please stay there and watch the situation on Dmitry’s side. Because the two of them could be planning and screwing us.”
[Will it be okay to be alone?]
“Don’t worry. There is also Wang Lun hyung here. I will get the money and return with a healthy body.”
Wang Han’s deep sigh could be heard all the way up here. It would be even more chaotic if he discovered that Ja-kyung had broken into the ship the night before and killed a man. He ended the call after discussing transferring the money to his account. Ja-kyung finally let out the sigh he had been holding back.
He followed Kang Il-hyun to the house, but his head was still throbbing from the previous night. He looked around the room but couldn’t find any headache medication. He asked someone to bring him some medicine over the intercom. He wanted to avoid what would happen when he went down and ran into Il-hyun Kang.
He was sitting with his head on the head of the bed when he heard a knock. They most likely brought the medicine. The door opened and Kang Il-hyun appeared as soon as he got out of bed and stood up. Alas, when Ja-kyung made an obvious impression, Il-hyun comes inside regardless. He held a glass of water and a tray of medicines.
“You said you had a headache. Are you okay?”
Ja-kyung nodded his head half-heartedly.
“Yes… Well.”
He placed the medicine and the water on the table. Ja-kyung approached Il-hyun’s side and tried to sit, but Il-hyun grabbed his arm and pulled him to sit next to him. He put a knife to his neck last night, but it was difficult to do so carelessly now since he became his employer. He reluctantly sat down next to him, and Il-hyun gave him the medicine and water.
When he tried to take the medicine, Il-hyun took the medicine back and pretended to open his mouth.
“Ah.”
It’s starting again. Il-hyun smirked as Ja-kyung looked at him with disgust.
“You don’t even force yourself to smile anymore? Is it because you’ve been caught?”
Ja-kyung took advantage of the opportunity to look him in the eyes, and immediately grabbed the medicine, and swallowed it with water. It tasted bitter as it passed through his throat, and it felt like his throat was getting hotter. Maybe it was because he swallowed it so quickly. Kang Il-hyun smiled broadly next to Ja-kyung as he touched his neck.
Ja-kyung felt a chill run up his spine. He put his finger in his mouth and tried to vomit, but was immediately stopped. He slapped Il-hyun’s arm hard, but as he stood up, Il-hyun grabbed him again. Kang Il-hyun then pushed him, and he fallen onto the sofa.
Kang Il-hyun’s eyes were fierce as he looked down from above. Ja-kyung’s breathing slowed, he felt drowsy, and his arms and legs relaxed, likely as a result of the medicine.
“Come to think of it, I’m disappointed.”
“Get out of the way.”
“Even if you go to a small restaurant and eat, they give you service, but I gave you 18 billion won and I didn’t get anything?”
Ja-kyung frowned. He had a rough idea of what service he was referring to. Kang Il-hyun slowly removed the band-aid on Ja-kyung’s neck. The mark was still red, and it had bothered him since the day before. Even after going to Hong Kong and learning the entire story, Il-hyun was not so angry.
Ja-kyung’s breath became short and his stomach became strange. Even if he pushed Kang Il-hyun, it was no use because his limbs did not have any strength. Il-hyun muttered as he touched the mark on Ja-kyung’s neck.
“Where did you get this thing while I was away… Fuck. So annoying.”
Il-hyun was about to kiss him but Ja-kyung covered his lips with his hand.
“If you’re looking for a partner tonight, look elsewhere. Because I am not interested in men.”
Il-hyun covered his mouth with his hand and reached into Ja-kyung’s pants. The already hard penis was so excited that his front was wet. Ja-kyung grabbed Il-hyun’s arm, but it was useless. Il-hyun grabbed the pillar and rubbed it up and down to stimulate it.
Ja-kyung bit his lip as he felt the fuse in his head flicker.
Kang Il-hyun whispered into his ear.
“You said you’re not interested, but why is your dick hard?”
Ja-kyung was momentarily furious and gritted his teeth.
“Fuck! That’s because you drugged me!”
Kang Il-hyun pressed their lips together, and Ja-kyung immediately stopped talking. Ja-kyung used his front teeth to bite Kang Il-hyun’s lower lip. Il-hyun had to be in pain, but he put his tongue in Ja-kyung’s mouth and moved around freely.
Ja-kyung tried to stick out his tongue, but it felt more like rubbing it together. As a result, the hand rubbing his penis became rougher. For a brief moment, the tongue that had been digging in his mouth fell out, and Ja-kyung took the opportunity to bite off Kang Il-hyun’s lower lip.
Ugh. Il-hyun frowned and licked his lips. Red blood dripped on Ja-kyung’s face. Seeing this, Il-hyun smiled creepily.