HYDP C25

Chapter 25

At the sharp edge of Sanhong’s words, Juyoung shot back, but while he snapped through cleaning, there was no answer. Juyoung just stared at the round back of his head.

Should he really carve the character for “patience” three times? It felt like only cutting off a windpipe right now would settle the temper.

He held his tongue and kept his thoughts to himself. Fighting with kids at least ten years younger wouldn’t profit him; he chose to endure.

After a few minutes of silent cleaning, the corridor was finally neat.

“Hoo…”

Exhausted by the filth of the night, he ripped off his mask and gloves and stuffed them into the trash. A sheen of sweat on his brow, he wiped it curtly with his forearm and stepped inside. Even then, the punks ignored his instruction to sit still and wandered the pawnshop, gawking.

“So when your heat hits, if someone sleeps with you, how much do you usually pay?”

“Starts at five hundred thousand won. If they say they need cash, I add a hundred.”

“Damn. Half a mil for a screw… guys from around here must be built for the life.”

“Hyung, you got a lot of money?”

“Yeah.”

Asked, he answered. Sometimes there was need for polish, but he wasn’t one for lying.

“Why ask?”

He took a pawn-loan contract and promissory note from a corner and approached Juyoung. Despite his cocky posture, the kid looked awkward.

“No, just… next time, do it with me.”

“There he goes again.”

“Heh… You say that out loud? You’re insane.”

“Hey. He’s drowning in gambling debt. Got to move out now.”

Despite the crew’s sneers, his face was serious.

He let out a long sigh. In this town, it felt like every other day someone was being crushed by gambling debt. Like ghosts who died craving a bet had latched on.

“That won’t happen. Drop it.”

“Why not. If it won’t, I’ll make it.”

“……”

“You think I can’t pin you down right here? Just because we keep dealing with you, you think we’re on your level?”

“……”

“Hey, Yeon Sanhong. No offense, but we’re letting you slide because you’re cute and pretty. If your face was a little less nice? We’d have killed you already.”

The air in the shop went cold in an instant.

He sighed, face twisted with disgust. Hearing this from fresh little punks stirred a lot inside.

Then the one next to Juyoung put a cigarette in his mouth. No smoking here. He grabbed a cup on the desk and splashed water into the kid’s face.

“…Ah—fuck!”

Soaked in a blink, he snapped the cigarette in half and sprang to his feet. Eyes blazing like he’d kill him on the spot, but he didn’t blink. One eyebrow arched as if to say, “And?”

“No smoking.”

“Fuck! You wanna die? Can’t you see we’re doing you a favor, like he said!”

“Don’t shout. Hurts my ears.”

Unable to take the calm tone, the punk clenched a fist—only to have Juyoung step in.

“Hey. Don’t make a scene.”

“No, but he—!”

“Sit.”

“……”

At a word from Juyoung, he spat a low curse and left the shop. He quietly filled in the blanks on the contract. He wanted this over with and them all out. The thought of the place getting dirty after he’d cleaned it darkened his mood.

“Hey, heard the rumor? That bastard from Gaerang Ban-jeom—his eye—you did that?”

“……”

“Couldn’t believe it. Rumors get fat on other people’s mouths.”

This time, Juyoung put a cigarette to his lips and took out a lighter. As he flicked it, a quick hand snatched it.

Not the first time. Say it once and they didn’t listen—enough to drive someone mad.

“Guys. No smoking.”

“Man, read the room a little, will you? That’s how you survive in this hellhole.”

“And get your feet off the desk.”

“Christ… you nag like crazy.”

Tapping him lightly on the head, he picked up the contract and skimmed. Not like he’d understand; all he cared about was the cash. He yanked the pen from his hand and scrawled his name across the signature line. Then he wrote the amount long across the line.

Amount: 5,000,000 won (five million won)

He scribbled the figure, added his signature, and looked pleased.

“What if you sign without reading.”

“So what. It’s probably all fair. I just have to pay in six months, yeah?”

“What if it says I’ll kill you.”

“…Pfft—puhaha…! Hey, how’s a small fry like you going to kill me?”

Like he’d heard the joke of the century, they doubled over in laughter. He alone didn’t laugh. What was so funny? As tears came and hands clutched bellies, he handed him a tissue.

“Wipe.”

Then, he snatched his wrist.

“Look. With a limp arm like this—what are you going to do?”

“……”

“I can read fortunes—want me to read yours?”

Using fortune-telling as pretext, he fondled his hand. Then ran his mouth.

“You’ll live under someone your whole life, holes punched through you, and die like that.”

“Feels nice you said I’ll live long.”

He handed him a duplicate and made him sign again. With two originals made, he added his own name and signature under his.

“As it says, payment’s usually within three months; I’m giving you six.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“This watch doesn’t look like yours.”

“……”

“If the owner shows up, this contract is void. If voided, you bring the money back, immediately. You get me?”

He spoke slowly, like to a child. He slouched, listening half-heartedly, face saying he only cared about getting the cash.

Then, a new mischief lit his face.

“Hey. What if I don’t pay and run.”

“Heh.”

At his line, the crew tittered along. Watching the low laugh bar, he listened.

“Even if I don’t run—I just refuse to pay. Then what.”

“…Then…”

He set the pen upright, stepped onto the table, grabbed his jaw, and shoved the tip into his mouth.

“……”

“……”

Move, and that tip would plunge in and shred the tongue.

“If you don’t pay, you die.”

“……”

“You really think I run a pawnshop with no means at all? Do I look like that?”

“……”

“For reference: if your tongue gets pierced, you bleed out.”

Face set in a blink, he fixed him with a knife-cold glare. Stunned by the sudden move, the punks watched in silence. Even he stared, mouth open.

None of them had expected it—shock was plain. Softening at the kids’ reaction, he decided to end it here.

“Scared? Kidding.”

“……”

“If you don’t pay, I’ll come for the money and the interest myself. Why ask.”

“……”

“Forget it. I won’t even take interest. Just the principal.”

Lips quirking, he patted his head. He dodged the gaze.

Holy shit… scared the life out of me…

“As you said, I’m a small fry. I’ve got nothing, destined to be under someone forever.”

“……”

“So for this pitiful me—keep your promise. Please.”

Stacking the two sheets, he inked the seal and stamped dead center.

As if he couldn’t believe he’d been cowed, he touched his lips and swallowed. He forced himself to dismiss what he’d seen as a trick of the eye.

“So, cash okay? In fifty-thousand notes?”

“Make it a cashier’s check.”

“Checks are easy to trace. Take cash.”

“…Fuck, then don’t ask—just give it.”

“It’s procedure.”

“Christ… do you ever let a line go?”

“If it needs saying, it gets said.”

Flustered by what hadn’t occurred to him, he threw a pointless curse and glared. To him, it was nothing but a child’s tantrum.

A stray thought crossed his mind—what if Cheong and Hong hit puberty like that someday.