Free Web NovelTaking advantage of a short break, I told Yohan about the ridiculous incident at the fortune-teller’s shop. Just like I expected, he burst out laughing so hard he practically doubled over.
“Isn’t that woman fucking crazy? Where’d she dig up some fake shaman like that to run her mouth? Anyway, ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) did you at least get your money back?”
“Yeah.”
“Damn. Look at you, getting money out of even the worst pain-in-the-ass customers now. I’m proud of you, Cha Haejun.”
“It wasn’t that big of a deal. Not even a real psycho customer.”
“Did you shake all the salt out?”
Snickering, he added that last part. I smacked my clothes again, brushing them off. The shaman had thrown quite a lot of salt, and the pockets still had those rough little grains rattling around inside.
“You said you almost got into an accident this morning too. You should just call it a day and head home early. When the day starts off like this and you push your luck, that’s when you end up really getting hurt.”
“I’m gonna take a few more calls before I go in. Haven’t taken that many yet.”
Yohan looked like he didn’t like that answer, but in the end he only told me to be careful. If someone says they want to make more money, there’s not much reason to stop them.
After parting ways with Yohan, I kept accepting delivery calls. I even took long-distance ones without complaining, and before I knew it I’d already hit my target amount faster than expected.
“Just one more.”
It felt like a waste to end it there, so I accepted one last call. It was pretty far, but the payout was good enough to make up for it. The order had already been paid for, so there wouldn’t be any awkward exchange with the customer. I loaded the food behind me and hummed to myself as I set off.
By the time I passed the wide avenues and the forest of office buildings, the darkening sky started spitting sleet — rain and snow mixed together — tapping down in dull little drops. Right as I reached the destination, I raised a hand over my helmet and ran into the building. At this rate, because of the weather alone, this would have to be my last delivery of the day.
Maybe because it was well past quitting time, most of the offices inside the building were already dark. A few rooms still had lights on here and there, but not many.
I checked the address again and stepped into the elevator. It was probably some employee working late who’d ordered dinner instead of going home.
When I reached the office with the lights on, I knocked on the door. An employee who had been staring at a monitor beyond the partitions heard the sound, stood up, and walked over. I looked up a beat later than usual because I was finishing the delivery confirmation on my phone.
The moment I saw the familiar figure, my eyes widened.
It was that guy I’d seen in Lee Kangjoo’s office.
They said today would be cursed with bad luck. I couldn’t tell whether the fortune-teller’s stupid curse had worked or if it was just coincidence. Either way, thanks to the helmet, there was no way this guy would recognize me. And if he didn’t recognize me, there was no reason to acknowledge him either.
I calmly held out the bag.
“Enjoy your meal.”
I gave the automatic greeting and turned around. I was just about to hurry off before he could stop me.
“This isn’t what I ordered.”
The words froze me in place.
The man spoke slowly and clearly as he pulled the contents out of the bag.
It was a hot dog wrapped in paper.
“I ordered a salad.”
“If the delivery’s wrong, please contact customer service.”
That was the restaurant’s problem, not mine. It had nothing to do with me. I tried to ignore him and leave, but I heard footsteps behind me. Before I could react, the man grabbed my shoulder and spun me around roughly.
“Fuck... hey.”
The way he ground out the curse made it look like he was about to kill someone. It was completely different from the polite attitude he’d shown in Lee Kangjoo’s office.
“Working overtime is already fucking miserable, and if this shit is miserable too, how the fuck do you think I feel? Use your brain before answering, you fucking delivery rat.”
As if that wasn’t enough, he started pushing my helmet with his index finger. I couldn’t just stand there and take it, so I slapped his wrist away hard.
“That’s not my problem. I told you to contact the store.”
The man let out a scornful little laugh.
Then he peeled the wrapper off the hot dog and smashed it against my helmet.
The bun crumpled instantly, red and yellow sauce and crumbs smearing across the visor. He wiped his dirty hands on my clothes afterward, grinding them in roughly.
“Eat this trash yourself.”
So this was his real nature. Acting all mild and obedient in front of Lee Kangjoo earlier — what a fucking joke.
My chest surged with anger and I clenched my fist, but I couldn’t hit him.
Considering he’d been with Lee Kangjoo before, I didn’t know the details, but there was clearly some kind of relationship between them. Whether it was business or personal, I had no idea. Either way, he felt like someone I absolutely shouldn’t mess with.
“Fuck...”
I cursed under my breath and wiped the helmet with my palm. The sauce didn’t come off cleanly. If I kept walking like this I’d probably trip over something.
I really didn’t want to show my face, but I had no other choice.
When I finally took the helmet off, the man’s mocking expression flattened instantly. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
He recognized me.
“You’re that bastard from before, right?”
He lifted the corners of his eyes sharply and glared at me. I didn’t care what conclusions his brain was drawing. I just tugged down my sleeve and kept rubbing the helmet.
Good thing I’d worn old clothes today. If I’d been wearing the ones Lee Kangjoo bought for me, I might’ve thrown a punch just to demand laundry money.
“We both think this situation is fucking annoying, so let’s just go our separate ways. If you’ve got complaints, take them up with the store.”
I tossed the words out and turned away.
Maybe it was because the image of him acting so friendly toward Lee Kangjoo that day kept overlapping in my head. I didn’t want to stay in the same space as him for even another second.
I walked away, scrubbing the helmet with my sleeve.
Then suddenly a hand shot out and grabbed the back of my head, twisting my hair brutally.
“Ah—!”
I cried out, but the man didn’t loosen his grip. Instead he kicked the back of my knee, forcing me down to the floor, and tightened his hold even more.
“What the hell—!”
The man stared down at me sprawled on the ground.
His eyes slowly scanned my face from forehead to chin, examining every detail.
“Pretty face.”
He looked delicate, but his strength was insane. No matter how hard I twisted his wrist, those bent fingers wouldn’t release my hair.
Eventually I swung my fist.
Only then did the man step back with an exaggerated “Whoa.”
Unfortunately, my punch sliced through empty air.
“You crazy—”
I shot to my feet, breathing hard. I was just about to spit a string of curses at him when—
“Cut the bullshit about prior appointments. You’re a guy who sells his body, aren’t you?”
The moment those words came out of his mouth, my lips snapped shut.
It wasn’t like I had a sign on my face saying male prostitute, but somehow he’d seen straight through my situation.
Being hit right on the mark blanked out my mind completely. The insults I’d been about to spit out lodged in my throat like a chunk of bone. My face went pale as if the words themselves were choking me.
All I had to do was deny it.
I could’ve lied and said I just happened to know Lee Kangjoo in passing, that he was misunderstanding things.
But my tongue had turned stiff as wood.
It wouldn’t move.
“Your face just looks like that. Guys who look like you always pretend to live honest lives while secretly selling their bodies. You’re a pro, right?”
“......”
Every guess he threw out hit the target.
It was unbelievably awkward.
The slick, smooth host personality I used in front of customers refused to appear here.
“You played hard to get before, but it turns out that’s the kind of trash President Lee’s been eating. That kind of thing ruins a man’s taste.”
The man snorted and clapped both hands over my head.
Crumbs from the crushed bread that were still stuck there rained down through my hair.
“I don’t know what kind of mood made him drag around some half-wit like you, but...”
He bent down and examined my face up close.
I pressed my lips tight and stared straight back at him.
The upward curl of his lips looked almost seductive, but it carried a filthy cruelty underneath. The eyes that had seemed gentle before now looked like a snake’s slit pupils staring at prey. For a moment I even had the illusion that the tongue inside his slightly open mouth was forked.
“Seeing you working a side job, I guess he’s not that fond of you.”
He knew exactly how to stab someone with words.
Or maybe he’d just thrown a rock at random and I happened to be the one it hit.
“Still, I’ve known President Lee longer than you, so I know him pretty well. That guy gets bored of things easily. He’ll get sick of you soon too. Judging by the way things look now... what, a month at most?”
“......”
“So don’t waste your energy and get lost already. Before I grind that fucking face of yours against a steel plate.”
He smacked my cheek twice.
His palm had enough force behind it that my head snapped sideways each time. When I didn’t react at all, he quickly lost interest and straightened up with a scoff.
Even after the man went back into the office, I stayed sitting in the hallway for a long time.
Only when the loud roar of a motorcycle engine echoed from somewhere far away did my eyes slowly regain focus.
Cold seeped up from the floor and chilled my entire body.
I pushed myself up with my creaking knees.
Light was still leaking out from the office.
Part of me wanted to storm back in and return the humiliation I’d just suffered twice over.
But I didn’t have the strength for that.
Instead I staggered out of the building.
Quite some time must have passed. The sleet had turned into fine dry snow. Snow blown by the wind spread across the road like a thin mist. The streets were emptier than before, but the cars driving over them crawled like turtles because of the snow blowing sideways.
I trudged over to where my bike was parked.
I just wanted to return it to the shop and go home.
Lie down on my bed and fall into a deep sleep without thinking about anything.
I even wanted to call Lee Kangjoo.
“He must not like you that much.”
Maybe because those words had stabbed into me like a knife, I rubbed the sore spot in my chest.
The pain felt unfamiliar.
It throbbed like someone was squeezing my heart in their fist.
The tip of my nose stung, like tears might spill out at any second.
