Swallow Hunting - Chapter 25.1
Yohan grabbed Hae-jun by the collar, rice grains flying from his mouth. He wasn’t trying to start a fight; he was just indignant that Hae-jun had hidden this without a single word until now. Even as he was shaken back and forth, Hae-jun accepted it as his own fault.
After taking a deep breath to settle his emotions, Yohan put down his spoon. He said he had lost his appetite completely.
“No, I mean, it is a good thing. He paid off your debt and, fuck, it isn’t like he is some grandpa about to die tomorrow, so it is definitely a good thing.”
“Right. It is a good thing.”
“But why does it feel so fishy? That condition.”
“Why?”
“You said he told you not to meet anyone else. I mean, with sponsors, it is true they set whatever conditions they want. But usually, they just pick a day to play golf, eat, and have sex; they don’t care who else you meet. ……Is that bastard a germaphobe or something?”
“I wouldn’t know about that.”
“Or is he just trying to screw with you?”
“Why would he screw with me?”
“You said you messed with that guy’s woman.”
“Ah.”
He had completely forgotten. The fact that Han Young-hwa had been Lee Kang-ju’s lover.
Hae-jun scratched his chin and fell into thought for a moment. His skin still crawled when he remembered Lee Kang-ju’s low sneer about how cheaply they were playing.
Yet, Lee Kang-ju surprisingly did not obsess over past relationships. This was evident from the fact that he had never once mentioned Han Young-hwa in front of Hae-jun. An ordinary person would have naturally expressed resentment or at least grabbed him by the collar.
Perhaps he was simply a person who was very clear about cutting ties, or perhaps the depth of his affection for Han Young-hwa had been as shallow as a stream.
“No way. If he were going to ruin me, he would have already beaten me to death and buried me in the mountains. Cutting off fingers and toes.”
This wasn’t a movie plot. Both Hae-jun and Yohan were all too familiar with such incidents.
The area where the two of them spent their childhood was famous for being a high crime zone. It was a place where husbands killed their wives, wives poisoned their husbands, and children were neglected and occasionally found as corpses. Even in modern society, where media is advanced and welfare is spread out like a net, dark spots where light does not reach still exist.
“So, about that.”
Hae-jun braced his hands on the floor and suddenly leaned his upper body toward Yohan. His eyes sparkled like a firefly’s tail, as they always did when he had a favor to ask. Yohan pulled his head back reluctantly, a scowl forming on his face.
“Teach me how to do delivery work.”
“Are you really quitting the shop?”
“He told me to quit, so what can I do? I am just going to do delivery during the day.”
“Do you even have a license?”
Hae-jun grinned thoughtlessly. Ever since they were in high school, Yohan had nagged him until his ears bled to get a license, but Hae-jun had put it off day after day, asking why it was necessary, until he reached today.
“I will get it right away.”
“How are you going to do delivery when you don’t even have that?”
“I was planning to follow you around and learn the job until I get my license.”
“You total nuisance. You sure talk easy.”
Frustrated, Yohan pinched Hae-jun’s cheek. He only let go with a relieved expression after Hae-jun made whining, crying noises.
***
While he could have told him over the phone, a person should have manners, so Hae-jun visited the shop in person to inform the Boss he was quitting. If he still had debt, it would be one thing, but since there were no more shackles, the Boss sent Hae-jun off readily.
“If there are a lot of customers next time, I will call you, so come run a shift.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
Hae-jun was grateful for the words that the Boss would seek him out without forgetting him. Regardless, wasn’t this also a way for money to come in? Perhaps because he had grown fond of the place despite the hardships, the tip of his nose felt a bit tingly as he left the shop.
The move proceeded smoothly. Yohan said he would help, but since there weren’t many belongings and a delivery call came in right at that time, Hae-jun moved on his own.
With just a backpack slung over his shoulder, he headed to the address Lee Kang-ju had given him. Upon arriving at the entrance, he looked back and forth between the dot on his phone map and the building in front of him, wondering if this was truly the place where he was to live.
“Wow.”
Even at a glance, it was a brand new building. Moreover, it was right next to the station. There was a security office at the entrance, a mechanical parking lot, and a keypad on the glass main door.
The inside of the house was even more amazing. It was a clean two room apartment, and it had everything from a washing machine to a bed, a desk, a TV, and even a two person sofa. There was a kitchen separated by an island table and a built-in closet that was more than enough to hold all his clothes.
This was the first time in his life he had lived in such a nice house. Hae-jun could not close his gaping mouth as he put down his backpack and carefully sat on the sofa.
The way his bottom sank in was softer than a bed. There was also a single bed right under the window, perhaps for guests. The bright sunlight pouring over it like grains of sand and the endless city landscape beyond the glass window drew exclamations of wonder.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
