episode_0017

I put on a windbreaker and went outside.

There was a black Mercedes Benz parked in front of the house. It was Alex’s car.

As they approached the car, Alex rolled down the window and stuck his head out.

“Let’s ride.”

Hmm. Should we talk in the car?

I opened the passenger door and sat down.

Alex rolled up all the windows, looked straight ahead, grabbed the steering wheel, and opened his mouth.

“The boss will be home late today. He has an important dinner with a high-ranking politician.”

“Ah. Yes.”

“Hmm,” Alex said, pausing for a moment before continuing.

“I have been watching over Boss since the moment she was adopted. When she was young, Boss was an introverted and depressed girl. You know those days well, Seongwon, right?”

“What……I know very well.”

What the heck, this author?

What are you trying to say?

I was a little annoyed because I couldn’t read Alex’s mind.

“Boss learned the job while working as a secretary under her adoptive father. She adapted to the mafia world surprisingly quickly. That’s why I knew Miss Hye-yoon would become the boss. But I didn’t know she would rise to the position so quickly.”

“Ah. Yes.”

“And the boss is doing a great job as the boss. Everyone in this industry is afraid of the boss. The business is expanding and the number of people who are reaching out to us is increasing.”

Alex’s eyes sparkled as he told that story.

The look in a fan’s eyes when they talk about their favorite anime characters…….

What is this guy thinking? Surely he’s not hanging up Hye-yoon’s picture in his room and making a fuss about it?

Alex, who had been speaking in such an excited tone, suddenly spoke in a sullen voice.

“……A boss like that shouldn’t have any weaknesses. A boss shouldn’t be swayed by anyone.”

“Yes. So?”

When I reacted indifferently, Alex turned his head to look at me and continued speaking seriously.

“Mr. Woo Sung-won. I don’t like your presence. I think you’ll put the boss in danger someday.”

Ah. Is that why you want to see me?

I just shrugged my shoulders and said nothing in response.

“I know that you and Boss were close friends when you were young. I’ve done a lot of research on you. But even so, you and Boss live in different worlds. Do you think you can handle Black Emily Boss Bin Hye-yoon?”

Ah. Seol-hee also told a similar story, right?

Ego. I guess I’ve lived well in this world.

There are so many people around me who are worried about me. Damn.

I asked, feeling annoyed.

“Get to the point. What do you want to tell me?”

Then Alex, who had been staring at me, answered with a slightly trembling voice.

“I’ll give you as much money as you want. Leave Korea.”

“Yes?”

Alex took hold of the steering wheel, looked straight ahead again, and continued speaking.

“I’ll give you enough money to live off of for the rest of your life. Then, Seongwon can take that money and live in a foreign country far away from Korea. Is that a good offer?”

I stared at Alex’s face and then answered.

“This proposal… Hyeyoon doesn’t know about it, right?”

“Of course. This is a proposal I make on my own, regardless of the boss. It’s all for the good of the organization, so I’m doing this. What do you think?”

“Isn’t Hye-yoon going to stay still?”

“Wouldn’t it be okay if you made up some excuses? Seongwon was looking for a job anyway, right? If you say something like there’s a good job abroad and you’re going there… your boss will probably accept it.”

There was silence for a moment.

Yeah, honestly, that offer was a little tempting.

Hyeyoon is a mafia boss… and I’m just a job seeker with a bit of a shabby side.

The gap is huge. Like Seol-hee and Alex said, I might not be able to handle Hye-yoon.

but……..

I bit my lips here and there as I thought, then sighed and answered.

“Please give me some time to think.”

“Yes. Think about it carefully.”

Alex added with a relaxed smile, wearing sunglasses.

“The man who will be by the boss’ side is not a weak man like Seongwon. He must be a strong man like me.”

What the heck? This guy? Does he have strange feelings for Hye-yoon?

I was so dumbfounded that I just stared at his face and got out of the car.

Raindrops fell from the sky.

***

That night.

Hyeyoon came home late.

As soon as she came in, Hyeyoon took off the pants she was wearing and threw them away, then slumped down on the sofa.

“Ah. I’m tired. I told you, I hate meeting people the most.”

“Why don’t you change your clothes instead of lying around like that? I can see your panties.”

“I’m tired. Just wait a minute.”

Hyeyoon covered her face with both hands and muttered as if she was tired.

“Mafia bosses are also in sales. Meeting people, eating, and drinking is half of the job. But that’s the most tiring.”

…….Somehow, it feels like the grievances of an office worker, such as a manager or team leader, rather than a mafia boss.

I cleared my throat and began to speak cautiously.

“I’m looking for a job these days. After looking around, I found a good job that involves a dispatch job in the US. The salary is also good. What do you think? Doesn’t it sound good?”

“USA?”

Hyeyoon, who was holding her face with both hands, did not respond for a moment.

There was an awkward silence for a moment.

Hmm… I can tell from this strange silence that Hye-yoon doesn’t like my suggestion.

Hyeyoon, who had been sighing, answered with a “sss” sound from her thin lips.

“What the heck is America……. It’s not even funny. Seriously.”

“Huh?”

“How are you going to live in America? You’re secretly a bit confused. How are you going to live alone in a foreign country?”

Although Hye-yoon’s voice was nervous, I tried to answer calmly.

“Oh, no. I’m not saying I’m going to America… I’m just thinking about it. Why are you overreacting?”

“Hypersensitivity?”

Hyeyoon answered like that and then quickly lifted up her face that she had been holding with both hands.

“Why are you overreacting? Have I ever treated you badly?”

“That’s not it, but……. Hyeyoon. Honestly, you’re a little weird. You don’t seem normal.”

I finally got to say what I’ve been wanting to say for a long time.

Hyeyoon is a little… strange. She’s emotionally unstable and seems strangely sensitive to me.

“Working as a mafia boss makes people half crazy. It’s a job where you have to kill people and bury them. So… do you despise me now too?”

“That’s not it. Absolutely not.”

I didn’t take my eyes off Hye-yoon.

Hyeyoon, who was staring at me with slightly red, bloodshot eyes, smiled brightly.

“Yeah. Those eyes are the same as when you were young.”

“When you were young?”

“When you washed my face at daycare. Sit here.”

As I carefully sat down on the sofa, Hyeyoon lay down with her head on my lap.

It smells…….

Hyeyoon stretched out both hands and grabbed my left hand and opened her mouth.

“I met Yoo Seol-hee. When I met her in person and talked to her, she was a fun girl.”

“Yuseolhee? What do you think it looks like?”

Hyeyoon brought my hand to her face and muttered, “Hmm,” before answering after a while.

“You’re smart. You seem to have a plan, just like you said. But even so… you’re still not my match.”

“Right?”

“Yes,” Hye-yoon nodded, sighed faintly, and said.

“If you were in our organization, I might have hired you as my secretary. I think you have that much brain power. But you know, I can see you using your brain in front of me.”

“How did you end up like this?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You weren’t like this when you were young, were you? You were a weak child, both mentally and physically. Honestly, I still can’t believe it.”

That was true.

I never imagined that Hye-yoon would become a mafia boss when she was young.

“When I was young, I was acting like a brat. It’s not that surprising.”

That’s how Hye-yoon and I met eyes.

Hyeyoon was looking up at me with her head on my lap, and I was looking down at her.

Heart pounding.

For a moment, my heart started pounding.

Yeah. Maybe now is………

Something has naturally set the mood. It’s right now.

It seems clear that Hye-yoon has feelings for me. If so, wouldn’t it be okay to be a little bit more physical with her?

I very slowly and carefully lowered my head and brought my lips to Hye-yoon’s.

however……

It wasn’t Hyeyoon’s lips that touched my lips, it was Hyeyoon’s fingers.

“I’m telling you, I’m really not ready yet. ”

Hyeyoon opened her eyes wide and whispered in a slightly shameless voice.

Ah. This is kind of embarrassing……… Fuck.

I’m not a very courageous person, so I’m not good at kissing first or doing things like that.

But right now, I thought the subtle atmosphere was perfect for a kiss.

But that’s not the case.

Ugh……. I’m so annoyed.

Hyeyoon, who sat up from my lap, said with a slight frown on her face.

“I’ll do it when I want, whether it’s kissing or whatever. I hate people with no manners.”

……..shit.

I really don’t know what Hye-yoon is thinking.

Even though he boldly takes off his clothes in front of me, he never crosses the line with skinship or touching.

At this point, I really don’t know what Hye-yoon’s heart is like.

Is it really just a sadistic obsession?

Am I a toy?

Anyway, one conclusion was definitely reached.

I guess I’ll have to decline Alex’s offer.

I think I’m starting to like Hye-yoon a little bit. Do I also have a temperament like Hye-yoon?

***

Three days later.

Deep dawn, before even the moon had risen.

An old passenger car pulled into an abandoned parking lot where not even the sound of a rat crawling could be heard.

The old man got out of the car and looked around in confusion.

Soon, young men in pitch-black suits appeared from over there.

“Mr. Shin Man-sik?”

As one of the young men verified his identity, the older man who had just gotten out of the car nodded silently.

“Come here.”

They quickly entered a nearby rusty container box. Inside the container box, a dim flashlight hung from the ceiling.

“You must really need the money since you accepted this job. Right?”

When asked by a young mafia man in a black suit, Shin Man-sik, who had gray hair growing out in patches, nodded.

“The debt has grown due to the failure of my business, and now it has even taken over my house. All that’s left is a small apartment……”

As Shin Man-sik’s eyes turned red, the young mafia nodded and tapped Shin Man-sik on the shoulder.

“I understand. The shoulders of the eldest are always heavy. So can you do as we say?”

“What do you want me to do…….?”

“There’s a witch strangling us right now. We’re going to kill that witch.”

Shin Man-sik swallowed hard.

When I was introduced to this job by someone I knew, I heard that it was possible to make a lot of money, so I expected it to be illegal. But I never thought it would be mafia… and assassination related…

Shin Man-sik asked with a trembling voice.

“If it’s assassination, wouldn’t it be better to leave it to the professionals? Or you could hire a professional killer. How could I do something like that…….”

“No. No. Our organization is not in a position to do that right now. That witch, Bin Hye-yoon, is spreading out a surveillance net like a spider web. Our organization’s information was also leaked to Black Emily a long time ago.”

“Then……. I…….”

“Yes. We need help from ordinary people, not mafia, right now. For a plan that Black Emily can’t anticipate. If Mr. Shin Man-sik helps us, we can kill Bin Hye-yoon with absolute certainty. How is this possible? Black Emily won’t suspect Mr. Shin Man-sik.”

Shin Man-sik swallowed hard. He asked with both eyes focused on him.

“What should I do?”

“There is a high-class restaurant that Bin Hye-yoon sometimes visits. Mr. Shin Man-sik, from now on, you should get a job there as a facility manager without any hesitation. Right now…….”

He held out his phone, smiled, and whispered.

“That restaurant is hiring a facility management worker. Well, the pay is at the part-time level.”

“What’s next?”

“Then you just do as we say. Mr. Shin Man-sik won’t have to shoot the gun or anything. We’ll just turn that witch into dust with the bomb. Mr. Shin Man-sik, please help us move the bomb secretly. What do you think?”

It was a tropical night, so sweat beaded on Shin Man-sik’s forehead.

“How much will you give me?”

“First, I’ll give you 100 million won as a deposit.”

As the young mafia man gestured, his subordinate standing next to him unfolded a bag full of cash.

It’s crisp new money.

Shin Man-sik’s eyes grew wide when he saw the money.

“If you successfully complete this task, I will give you up to 3 billion won in cash.”

“4, three billion?”

Shin Man-sik was surprised and wiped his forehead with a handkerchief.

A ton of money… I think I could pay off my debts and open a small store with that amount of money.

“How is it?”

Shin Man-sik lifted his glasses and tried to answer calmly.

“You spend quite a lot of money. Are you really going to give it to me?”

“This is cheap. Even if it costs a hundred billion, we have to get rid of that witch. Otherwise, we’re going to die.”

Shin Man-sik muttered, avoiding the gazes of the mafia blocking his way.

“Okay, give me a moment to think about it. It’s not an easy decision to make…….”

“No. Shit. It’s embarrassing if you come out like that now.”

The young mafia responded threateningly by pulling out a gun and pointing it at Shin Man-sik.

“Mr. Shin Man-sik, haven’t you heard our story too much? I guess you have no choice now.”

“Huh? Ah…….. Ugh……..”

The young mafia handed the bag of money to Shin Man-sik and smiled.

“Okay. Here’s the deposit. I’ll give you a cannon phone, so you can use that to contact me from now on. Don’t even think about reporting this to the police or telling Black Emily. If you do, not only Shin Man-sik, but also his wife and daughter will all go through hell. Got it?”

At that moment, Shin Man-sik quickly thought about it.

Yeah. Even if I ask Black Emily about this information, I don’t think they’ll give me 3 billion. But if I succeed in this, they’ll give me 3 billion.

Since it’s come to this… I’m going to move together with these guys.

Shin Man-sik took the bag with a solemn expression and shook hands with the young mafia.

“Okay, I have no choice now. Let’s do our best.”

“Now you’re making sense.”

After shaking hands, Shin Man-sik carefully packed his bag of money and returned to his old car.

Shin Man-sik, sitting in the driver’s seat, took out his phone and looked sadly at his daughter’s face on it.

Now I wanted to be a proud father to this daughter.

I want to become a capable father and be able to stand tall in front of my daughter.

Shin Man-sik’s daughter was Yeon-rim. Shin Yeon-rim was Woo Seong-won’s ex-girlfriend.

He clenched his fists, stuffed his phone into his pocket, and started the car.

The car raced through the darkness.