Taesung
I wake up, earlier than I should.
The dull pain spread throughout my body is nothing new. I lie motionless, staring at the ceiling, while the voices I heard while half-asleep echo in my head.
They thought I was asleep. The pills did their job, but not quite enough to send me into a deep sleep.
I heard everything.
Every word. Every hesitation. Every sentence, that decided my fate, without me. His confession.
I turned my head to the side. The bandage on my face is no longer fresh, it's just loosely attached. I get out of bed and head to the bathroom. I remove the bandage from my face. The cut runs from my cheekbone to my chin. Clean. Rough. Unmistakable. It's a scar that will never go away.
The doctor offered me a solution. Plastic surgery. Laser treatment. Money wasn't an issue, and I could tell from Hyunjin's face that he wasn't worried about it either.
I refused. Not because I thought I was beautiful. It doesn't detract from my appearance in any way. But because it's real.
It's proof. Proof, that I survived. That I fought and survived. I'm not the same guy, who came here a few months ago.
I sit back down on the bed. My shoulder is still immobilised, painful and bandaged. My body is weak, but my mind is clear for the first time.
And determined.
... ༺༻ ...
I found Hyunjin sitting in his office.
I don't wait for him to invite me in. I just walk in. I can hear him talking to someone.
He looks up. He immediately notices that I am not wearing a face covering. His gaze hardens.
„You should be resting," he says.
„I heard you," I reply calmly. The silence between us is heavy. Taeju looks at me, but says nothing. He just waits. „I know about Nishimura," I continue. „And I want to be there."
Hyunjin clenches his jaw. „No."
„Yes," I correct him. „I'm not going to watch. I'm going to ask questions."
„You're injured," he growls. „You have no business being there." I take a step forward, my shoulder aching, but I don't let it show.
„It was his man, who tried to kill me. It was Mishimoto, who gave the order. I want to be there." I stand by my decision. For the first time, I try to consciously blend in with these people. With the mafia.
„I don't want something hap...,"
„Happen to you." I finish his sentence. „It's too late for that." I see a flicker of guilt in his eyes. My heart stings, when I realise he thinks I blame him for it. „I don't blame you. I just don't want to be a bystander. If you're going to hell, I'm going with you."
Taeju smiles slightly. Not with joy, but with understanding.
Hyunjin closes his eyes. For a moment. „One day," he says slowly, „you'll regret this."
„Maybe, but not today." He opens his eyes.
„If this isn't a confession of love, then I don't know how else he should tell you." Taeju breaks the silence. We both look at him, then at each other, but neither of us says anything more on the matter.
„Go and get dressed," Hyunjin finally says. „But you're going to hold back." I don't smile. But I know I've won. And I don't intend to hold back.
... ༺༻ ...
The building stands alone, hidden amongst warehouses and dilapidated halls. No one with pure intentions has set foot here in a long time. The concrete is the colour of dirt and the windows are covered in dust and grease. Even from outside, you can smell the musty odour of dampness, oil and decay.
As soon as we enter, I sense the air change. It becomes heavy. It sticks to my skin. Every step echoes hollowly and loudly. The walls are cracked and covered in places with mould that spreads like a disease.
I walk behind. Not because I have to, but because I want to see everything. I follow Taeju, ane he is following Hyunjin.
Something flashes across the floor. Small. Fast. I look down instinctively and see a rat disappearing into a crack between the wall and the pipes. It's not the only one. I see more shadows moving in the corners and hear quiet squeaking and scratching. Something runs and disappears again. Rats. Cockroaches. God knows, what else.
I commit it to memory.
A good security guard notices details. Escape routes. Dark corners. Places, where something could be hidden. Or someone.
Hyunjin walks calmly with his hands in his coat pockets. Taeju moves as if he owns the place. I hear familiar voices ahead. Hanil and Janil.
When we enter the room, I can smell water, sweat and fear.
Then I see him.
They've tied him to the table. His head is tilted back and a wet rag is clamped over his face. Hanil is holding it tightly in place. Janil stands over him with a bucket of water, which he pours in a strong stream over his covered face. He's suffocating.
My gaze falls on the metal bucket that Janil is holding. Then it hits me. My gaze slides over to Nishimura. Hyunjin's enemy's right-hand man.
„Something just occurred to me. May I excuse myself for a moment?" I lean closer to Hyunjin and ask if I can step away for a moment. With his hand on his chin and his eyebrows raised, he turns to face me. He clearly tells me to stay back, but something in my eyes makes him relax his grip and allow me to leave.
I stop at the door. „Make sure he's still alive when I get back," I tell everyone, before leaving the room. On the way here, I surveyed the terrain as any proper bodyguard of a big boss would. I know exactly what I'm looking for. The hard part will be catching those rats.
... ༺༻ ...
The moment stretched on for almost an hour. I opened the door with my elbow because my hands were full. The door creaks. Nishimura is still alive. That's what I wanted.
„Where the fuck have you been all this time?" Janil slams an empty bucket on the ground and the metallic sound echoes off the walls.
„Have you ever caught rats, Janil?" I ignore his question and ask him one instead. Just so you know, it would be fucking hard even without a bandaged hand.
„Why the fuck are you bringing rats into this, Taei?" I don't answer. I put the box down on the ground and hear a faint scratching sound from inside. I'm holding a gas torch.
Someone's hand lands on my bandaged shoulder. I look up and meet his gaze. „You shouldn't overexert yourself." I give him a kind smile. It's a strange feeling, knowing that someone is worried about you. That someone cares about you. What I overheard him and Tae talking about left an impression on me.
„Move." I shove Janil with my other shoulder. „It's in your best interest to give us the information we're asking for. Otherwise, you won't leave here alive." I address Nishimura, who is lying on the table. „Not that you'd leave here alive otherwise. But if you talk, your death will be quick and painless. If not..." I don't finish the sentence, instead looking back at the box on the floor. Nishimura follows my gaze and the box shakes again.
„Fuck you. You're dead. You understand? You're fucking dead." He yells at me, wriggling in an attempt to loosen his handcuffs.
„I don't know, who's dead here," I whisper under my breath as I head towards the box with the rat. Pulling a glove out of my back pocket, I struggle to put it on my hand. I open the box and try to grab the rat by its tail.
„Take the bucket." Janil knows I'm talking to him. I stand up, walk towards him with my arm outstretched and throw the rat into the bucket. „Hanil, his shirt. Please." Hanil steps closer, rips Nishimura's shirt open and exposes his bare chest.
„Last chance. Will the bird sing?" He responds with a slimy smile.
„Fuck you." Janil needs only a single glance to know, what I'm suggesting. He places the bucket on Nishimura's chest and he yelps, when the rat scratches his bare skin with its claws. I hand Janil the gloves to put on. He will hold the bucket.
I turn to Taeju. „You know how to use gas torch, right?" He laughs loudly and turns to Hyunjin.
„Jiwook couldn't handle this. He was disgusted by rats." He grabs the torch and lights the flame.
„Are you fucking crazy? Stop it!" Nishimura screams at the top of his lungs.
„I gave you several options, it's your choice." I nod to Taeju, who points the torch at the top of the bucket. The flame approaches the metal.
The bucket starts to heat up almost immediately. The metal crackles as it expands and Nishimura screams so loudly, that the sound sends a chill down my spine. The rat inside goes berserk, scratching and squeaking as it tries to find a way out. But there is only one way out. Through Nishimura's abdominal cavity.
This is exactly the point.
That moment, when there is nothing left to prove. When fear usually takes control and the body begins to betray the mind.
I take a step back. Then another. Not because I can't bear to watch. It's simply no longer necessary.
I turn towards the door. Each subsequent scream behind me sounds more muffled, as if it belongs to someone else. As if it were all happening behind glass. Hyunjin doesn't stop me. I can see in his eyes that he understands.
As soon as I step outside, I feel the cold air on my face. My lungs expand. I take a deep breath. It's my first proper breath in an hour.
I lean against the wall, bow my head and close my eyes for a moment.
„Taesung?" I hear his voice next to me.I look back at him. He looks concerned. What have you done to me? Why did you make me what I am now?
„Do you trust me?" I ask him out of the blue. He nods. „Then lend me some money." He frowns. „I'll be back." I promise him this, and he lets me go. He reaches into his pocket and takes out a card.
„It's yours. The PIN is your birthday." I pause before taking the card. When did he have it made? When did he want to give it to me? How does he know the day I was born?
Once again, I am preoccupied with questions.
„Thank you," I say, taking it and walking away into the darkness.
... ༺༻ ...
BLOOD DEBT (피의 빚)