PAYBACK BOOK 1.

This book comes with a trigger warning: it contains angst, death, drug addiction, rape/non-consensual (not related to the main character), self-sacrifice, starvation, torture, unhealthy relationships, attempted murder, abuse, and corpses.

Chapter 1.

“‘Turning over a new leaf’ is a beautiful phrase. Leaving your past mistakes behind and becoming a better person sounds like a wonderful thing. Better still would be never having to turn over a new leaf in the first place.

 

Unfortunately, my situation wasn't that simple, because I was a complete bastard—or, as most people would put it, a thug.

 

I started hanging around with the wrong crowd in middle school. I ran away from home more times than I could count. Even though I managed to get into high school, I was so hopeless that I was expelled before I'd even finished my first year. My mother raised my younger brother and me on her own, without a husband to rely on. Yet when I was expelled, instead of scolding me, she looked as though she'd already given up.

 

She must have been exhausted. Maybe she'd reached the point where she wanted to give up on her eldest son altogether. Working from before dawn until late at the restaurant just to keep food on the table was already hard enough. As for me, once I stopped going to school, I became like a horse with its reins cut loose. I truly believed the whole world belonged to me and that I could do whatever I pleased.

 

I extorted money from kids my own age, stole cash from drunkards to spend on alcohol every day, and smoked two or three packs of cigarettes without anyone stopping me. Later, I even started taking drugs someone offered me after they claimed they'd make me feel euphoric.

 

I covered my body in tattoos to show everyone how tough I was. I rode motorcycles, surrounded myself with people just like me, and picked fights wherever we went. Before long, I became the leader of the gang, taking everyone on dangerous late-night rides through the streets.

 

Back then, I thought it was cool. I thought I was incredible because everyone submitted to me. As for the students who cared only about studying, they looked like pigs penned up in a sty, too frightened even to meet my eyes. Without realising it, my mind gradually stopped functioning properly, and I sank deeper and deeper into a hell I could never escape.

 

One day, after hearing someone talk about turning over a new leaf, I suddenly wondered how wonderful it would be if I could do the same. If only one day I'd looked into a mirror, been shocked by the sight of that blond-haired delinquent staring back at me, and finally come to my senses.

 

Even though I knew it was far too late for regret, guilt still weighed heavily on my chest whenever I looked back on my past. While everyone else was busy preparing for university entrance exams, I found a job.

 

It was at a loan company.

 

My job was collecting debts.

 

Most of the people who couldn't repay what they owed were poor souls with nowhere left to run, barely surviving from one day to the next. But to me, they were nothing more than bonus money.

 

I used brutal methods. Carrying a knife, I'd lurk in the darkness at night, threatening women and even children. I'd do whatever it took, so long as I collected the debt. The job paid far better than I'd ever imagined, and before I knew it, I was completely intoxicated by my own arrogance.

 

Making money was ridiculously easy.

 

The whole world still feared me.

 

There wasn't a single thing someone like me couldn't do.

 

I pitied my mother, yet I resented her. She'd worked at the same restaurant for more than ten years and was still living in a cold, dark basement flat she rented month by month. Even so, I never once used the money I earned to help my family. I was too busy spending it on myself. Every day I drifted from bars to expensive lounges, drinking imported liquor while convincing myself I was someone extraordinary.

 

The only person I was willing to spend money on was Myung-shin, my ex-boyfriend.

 

Like me, he'd been expelled from high school. He was so beautiful that anyone would believe he was a woman if you told them so. He was the one who opened my eyes to the fact that I could sleep with another man. Quiet and obedient, he always trailed after me like a little puppy, stirring something protective inside me.

 

I could satisfy my desires whenever I wanted without worrying about him getting pregnant. That's how our relationship began. After we'd been together for more than a year, somewhere along the way I convinced myself he was my boyfriend.

 

Only later did I realise I'd been the only one who believed that.

 

No...

 

Back then, my entire life had been nothing but one long misunderstanding born from my own arrogance.

 

I have nothing more to say about him.

 

Perhaps because of his striking looks, he dreamed of becoming an actor. He diligently spent the money I gave him on acting lessons and visited entertainment agencies whenever he had the chance. Sometimes I wondered whether someone as quiet and reserved as him could really become an actor. Still, I didn't think much of it. Whenever another scam agency cheated him out of his money, I'd simply comfort him.

 

Another year passed, and early summer arrived.

 

While people my age were enjoying their second year of university, I was still making a living by threatening people for money.

 

Strangely enough, though, I had a bad feeling from the moment I woke up that morning.

 

Normally, Myung-shin would come home in tears after being tricked by yet another fake agency.

 

But that day was different.

 

He was genuinely excited.

 

He insisted that the agency he'd visited a few days earlier was absolutely legitimate.

 

...Even though I assumed he'd simply fallen for another scam, seeing how excited he was irritated me for reasons I couldn't explain.

 

That morning, after sleeping in because I'd been drinking until late the night before, I left home to head for the loan company's office.

 

That's when I noticed someone waiting for me nearby.

 

Absolutely. This style is much closer to how Korean and Thai novels are actually laid out in English. Your current version is accurate, but it has been broken into very short paragraphs, which slows the reading pace.

 

I'd group it more like this:

 

---

 

“Hyung.”

 

I turned towards the familiar voice and saw my younger brother. The last time I'd seen him was when I'd gone home a month earlier. He stood there in a middle school uniform that looked a size too big for him.

 

“What is it?”

 

He should have been at school. So why was he here at this hour?

 

As I narrowed my eyes and walked over, the skinny boy spoke without preamble.

 

“Mom's sick.”

 

“So?”

 

“…”

 

“Why are you looking at me like that? What do you want?”

 

“…Money. I need money for Mum's hospital bills.”

 

It was obvious he'd forced those words out. The moment he finished speaking, he clamped his lips tightly shut.

 

Suppressing my irritation, I pulled out my wallet, opened it, and counted the cash inside.

 

“How much do you need?”

 

“How much can you give me?”

 

My hand, which had been about to pull out every ten-thousand-won note, stopped. Only then did I ask the question I should have asked from the beginning.

 

“What happened to her?”

 

“I don't know. She suddenly collapsed. They said she needs some kind of operation.”

 

What a pain.

 

I thought of my mother, whose health had always been poor because she'd never taken a single day off work. Then I took out the cheque and every ten-thousand-won note I had.

 

“Here.”

 

My brother accepted the money and counted it carefully before looking up again.

 

“Can I have more?”

 

“How much are the hospital bills?”

 

“Four million two hundred thousand won.”

 

“…What?”

 

Just how seriously ill was she?

 

I looked at my younger brother, wondering when he'd grown this much, yet I couldn't bring myself to ask anything else. He spoke as though he were borrowing money from a complete stranger rather than his own brother, making it painfully clear he wanted nothing to do with me.

 

“Can I have more? I'll pay you back later.”

 

How are you ever going to pay me back?

 

I swallowed the words before they escaped and glanced at my watch.

 

“Come back this evening. I need to collect today's payments first. I won't have the full amount, but I should be able to give you at least half.”

 

Only then did my brother give a single nod before turning and walking away. I watched him disappear into the distance before it occurred to me that he'd probably been standing there for hours, waiting to ask me for help despite not wanting to.

 

---

 

That day, I was in a foul mood from beginning to end.

 

The debtors I had to collect from were a married couple who ran a small roadside food stall beneath a canvas tent. They looked to be in their mid-to-late forties, and their son was only two years old. I'd heard there was something wrong with his leg, so they'd borrowed money to pay for an operation.

 

He was the only child they'd managed to have after marrying late in life, so they adored him. But because of him, every penny they earned each month disappeared into repaying their debt. Even then, they still needed money just to survive, and they hadn't paid a single month's interest in almost three months.

 

This was my fourth visit.

 

I'd already squeezed them dry on my previous visits, but I had no intention of showing mercy today. I needed money too.

 

So I resorted to a method I rarely used.

 

“Gah…! W-What are you doing?!”

 

The husband shouted, his face draining of colour, while his wife collapsed beside him in tears.

 

“Honey…! W-What are you doing?! P-Please put the knife away!”

 

The husband almost crumpled as well, but as the head of the family, he forced himself to step forward.

 

Instead, I snatched up their crying son and pressed the blade of my knife against the child's neck.

 

“Waaah…!”

 

The little boy struggled desperately in my grip, crying so hard his tiny face turned bright red.

 

Only when the blade rested against his delicate skin did the man finally collapse to his knees.

 

“Please… let my son go. I'm begging you. Please let him go. I'll give you everything I have. Take whatever you want…”

 

Hearing him sob, I let out a scornful laugh.

 

“Go and get your tenancy agreement. Then call your landlord and ask for your deposit back. Right now.”

 

The man's eyes widened.

 

“B-But… where are we supposed to live…?”

 

“Waaah…!”

 

I pressed the flat of the blade a little harder against the child's neck. The cold steel startled him, making him flinch violently. The edge grazed his skin, leaving behind a hair-thin red line.

 

The man cried out his son's name as he reached towards us with trembling hands.

 

“I'll do it! I give up! Please… don't hurt my son!”

 

Staggering to his feet, the husband hurried to retrieve the tenancy agreement from wherever he'd hidden it.

 

The first thing I checked was the deposit amount. They'd already fallen several months behind on their rent, so they'd only get half of it back.

 

Damn it.

 

Still, at least I could give that money to my little brother.

 

Once I'd listened to the landlord confirm everything over speakerphone, I finally let the child go. The boy was so terrified that he'd fainted onto the floor. His mother rushed over, gathered him into her arms, and burst into tears. Meanwhile, I turned towards the door. Still wearing my shoes inside the house, I reached for the handle.

 

Just as I was about to leave—

 

“…You.”

 

Despite the wife's sobs filling the tiny one-room flat, I heard the husband's low voice with perfect clarity. Perhaps it was because I could see the hatred burning in his eyes.

 

“…Heaven will punish you.”

 

“Heaven's punishment?”

 

I snorted.

 

“If something like that really existed, every bad person in the world would've died already.”

 

“Idiot.”

 

The wife's crying echoed behind me as I laughed mockingly, opened the door, and walked away.

 

---

 

I dragged myself through several more debt collections before finally heading home.

 

If I could turn back time, that would be the moment I'd choose above all others.

 

Back then, all I could think about was handing the money to my younger brother before going home to fool around with Myung-shin for a while. Only his body could make me feel good enough to wash away the frustration that had been building inside me since that morning.

 

Lost in those thoughts, I spotted my younger brother standing in exactly the same place as before. He looked at me with a stiff expression, as though I were a complete stranger.

 

“Hyung, why did you take so long?”

 

He must have been waiting there for hours to greet me with those words.

 

Just as I reached into my pocket for the money, I frowned.

 

That brat…

 

He actually had the nerve to complain that I was late.

 

My irritation flared, making me reluctant to hand over the money at all. Normally, with my temper back then, I'd have punched him already.

 

But I decided it would be quicker to give him the money and go home, so I took out the envelope of cash and walked over.

 

“It isn't the full amount, but take this for now. I'll get the rest tomorrow…”

 

I was about to tell him I'd bring the remainder as soon as I could.

 

But something about his expression was strange.

 

No…

 

---

 

He wasn’t looking at me. He was staring at something behind me with eyes full of terror. For a split second, I wondered what was happening and started to turn around.

 

Something rushed past me.

 

Only after hearing a muffled groan did I realise someone had sprinted by.

 

“Urgh…!”

 

When I turned around, the scene before me came into focus. My younger brother stood there with his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open, frozen in fear. Someone had grabbed him and was repeatedly stabbing him in the stomach.

 

When the man turned towards me, I recognised him.

 

He was the little boy’s father.

 

Our eyes met, and he whispered through gritted teeth, “This… is Heaven’s punishment!”

 

I don’t remember much of what happened after that. The only thing I remember is regaining consciousness late that night and seeing my younger brother lying dead in a pool of bright red blood. I don’t even remember how I made it home.

 

Haven’t you ever heard someone say that misfortune never comes alone?

 

When I finally got home and opened the door, the room had been completely ransacked. Everything was scattered across the floor, and the ten million won I’d collected that day and was supposed to hand over to the office had vanished.

 

When the landlord came later, he told me he’d be keeping my security deposit and ordered me to pack my things and leave immediately.

 

That was when I realised Myung-shin had betrayed me.

 

If my bad luck had ended there, it would’ve been one thing. But my mother—the reason my younger brother had come to borrow money for her medical treatment—was still alive.

 

Two days after my brother died, I went to the hospital to see her. The only thing waiting for me was the doctor’s diagnosis.

 

My mother had fallen into a brain-dead state as a result of the surgery.

 

At the time, I couldn’t cope with everything that had come crashing down on me all at once. I couldn’t understand how everything had turned out like this, or why my entire life had collapsed in the blink of an eye.

 

Then the doctor spoke clearly. It felt like the first sentence I’d truly heard in days.

 

“Your mother is only alive because of the life-support machine, but she doesn’t have much time left. If the family is prepared, it would be best to let her pass away peacefully…”

 

“Are you telling me to decide whether my mother lives or dies?”

 

I’d already caused my younger brother’s death. Was I supposed to let my mother die too?

 

No matter how recklessly I’d lived my life, now my younger brother was dead, and my mother was dying right before my eyes. I had to pull myself together.

 

The doctor said she would remain in a permanent vegetative state, but I stubbornly insisted on keeping her alive with those expensive machines.

 

After leaving the hospital, I went straight to the loan company where I worked to borrow money to keep my mother alive.

 

“How are you going to pay me back?” the president asked with a sneer.

 

“I’ll work myself to the bone until I’ve paid back every last won.”

 

The president couldn’t help laughing.

 

“Everyone who comes here to borrow money says the same thing. But not a single one of them ever pays it back. So tell me, are you going to end up just like them? I understand your situation, but I can’t keep you working here either. I can’t entrust my money to a debtor like you.”

 

“I’ll find another job and pay you back. I swear I will.”

 

“Mmm. That’s what everyone says.”

 

The president seemed amused as he pulled a thick bundle of cash from the safe.

 

“You know what’ll happen if you can’t pay it back, don’t you?”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

“This is going to be interesting. I’ll be looking forward to the day a punk like you comes crawling to me on his knees, begging me to spare your life.”

 

Leaving the president’s chuckle behind me, I went straight to the hospital to pay my mother’s medical bills.

 

After that, I returned to my real home—a place I hadn’t been back to in a very long time.

 

It was a damp, musty basement room where sunlight never reached. Every step I took inside felt unbearably heavy, as though I were walking against the current.

 

My younger brother must have rushed out. His blanket had only been folded carelessly, and several pieces of clothing had fallen from the rack.

 

There were signs of people living there everywhere, yet to me it felt as though time had stopped in that room. I was nothing more than an unwelcome guest standing in the middle of a scene that had remained perfectly intact.

 

Then my eyes caught the blinking light on the computer. When I moved the mouse, the monitor lit up.

 

I frowned and muttered to myself, “That idiot… He left without even turning off the computer…”

 

Before I could finish grumbling, it suddenly hit me.

 

…Right.

 

My younger brother was dead.

 

I slowly looked around the room. Everywhere I looked were traces of my brother’s and mother’s lives.

 

His middle school textbooks and supplementary study guides were neatly stacked on his desk, with a halved eraser resting on top. Pinned to the wall was his class timetable, written neatly in his own handwriting. It had been decorated with coloured pencils, so bright and colourful that it hardly looked like something a boy had made.

 

Now that I thought about it, I remembered him saying his studies kept him busy.

 

When I looked over at the desk again, I noticed a small plastic basket crammed full of sample-sized cosmetics. All my mother’s life, she’d only ever used those tiny complimentary bottles of makeup. Even then, she’d carefully saved them and only used them when she had somewhere special to go.

 

The little plastic basket I’d seen ever since I was a child was cracked down the middle, and it was so old that I could no longer tell what colour it had originally been.

 

I stood there in the middle of the room, staring blankly for a long time. Everything was exactly where it had always been, waiting for its owners to return as though nothing had happened.

 

Only then did I truly realise that my younger brother was dead.

 

My mother would soon follow him.

 

And somehow, the worthless one who had survived was me.

 

The people I’d once thought of as friends all turned their backs on me after everything that had happened. I didn’t resent them. To be more accurate, I simply didn’t have the time.

 

I still had debts to repay, and I’d promised the president I’d work myself to the bone to pay him back.

 

For the first time in my life, I worked seriously.

 

I delivered newspapers before dawn. From morning until evening, I packed boxes at a factory. When night fell, I put on a ridiculous mascot costume and stood in the entertainment district handing out flyers.

 

I lived like that, sleeping a little over three hours a day and eating only two meals.

 

My mother survived for another three months. The doctor had said she would probably last only a few weeks, but she held on for three whole months.

 

Perhaps she couldn’t bear to leave because she was worried about her son. Perhaps she stayed just a little longer so I wouldn’t be left completely alone.

 

The day I used the security deposit from my mother’s rented room to pay the final hospital bill, I truly hit rock bottom. Even so, I still went to the entertainment district that evening to hand out flyers as usual.

 

On a humid summer night, I wore a mascot costume that made it hard to breathe as I handed out flyers for a newly opened karaoke bar to people passing by.

 

I’d only just scattered my mother’s ashes into the river. But taking a break wasn’t an option for me. Ever since I started working three months earlier, something inside my head had stopped moving. I didn't know whether that was why I'd become even more numb than before.

 

Three months of paying those expensive medical bills had all been for one reason—to keep Mother alive.

 

But now that she was gone...

 

Why didn't I feel sad?

 

The question drifted into my mind, only to be buried almost immediately beneath the weight of my exhaustion. I still had to return to the warehouse I'd rented, sleep for two or three hours, then get up before dawn to deliver newspapers.

 

It was dark.

 

But after finishing my second job, my body refused to move, even though I should have gone straight back to rest. Still wearing the mascot costume, I sat absent-mindedly at the end of a back alley in the entertainment district.

 

That's when I noticed something strange.

 

A shouting match broke out somewhere nearby.

 

Fights were so common in this neighbourhood that nobody paid them much attention, but this didn't sound like the usual drunken brawl. The voices sounded sober.

 

Even so, I wouldn't have cared if it hadn't been for one sentence that made me freeze.

 

“You'll be punished by Heaven!”

 

The hoarse shout was followed by the sounds of people brawling.

 

Thud!

 

Crash!

 

Smash!

 

The dull thuds of blows landing and the sound of bottles shattering against someone's body echoed through the alley. Those were sounds I knew all too well.

 

As I turned the corner, I saw four men ganging up on a single man. Although he was on the defensive, the fight was surprisingly even.

 

The reason I thought the man being attacked was a skilled fighter wasn't simply because he was outnumbered. Those four were only in their twenties—nothing more than local thugs who'd gone clubbing and thought they were tough.

 

If it'd been me, I could've dealt with those punks on my own.

 

What surprised me was that the man was fighting with only one arm.

 

His other arm was in a cast.

 

Even so, he faced all four of them with remarkable ease, his expression completely calm.

 

I had no idea how the fight had started, but it looked as though the man with the cast was about to win.

 

If those words hadn't caught my attention, I'd have walked away without a second glance.

 

Thinking that, I turned to leave.

 

Then I saw one of the thugs pull something from his pocket.

 

It was a knife.

 

A familiar one.

 

The moment I saw him gripping the same kind of knife I'd once used myself, my feet moved before I even realised it.

 

By the time I came to my senses, I'd already swung my arm.

 

“Argh!”

 

Thud!

 

The thug screamed as I twisted his arm, forcing the knife from his hand.

 

It had happened so quickly that the fight came to an abrupt halt. Everyone turned to stare at me in confusion.

 

“Who the hell are you?” one of the thugs demanded.

 

I merely glanced at him before driving my fist straight into the face of the thug who was still crying out in pain.

 

Crash...

 

He hit the ground with a heavy thud.

 

The other three hurried over to help their friend before glaring daggers at me.

 

“Bloody hell! Are you with him?”

 

I shook my head without even looking at the man they'd been attacking.

 

The thug stared at me in disbelief.

 

“You cowardly bastards! Sneaking up on people from behind! Pathetic...”

 

Oh?

 

And four against one makes you brave?

 

The pitiful thugs cursed loudly, hoisted their unconscious friend onto their shoulders, and hurried away. If the four of them couldn't win against one man, there was no chance once I'd joined in.

 

I watched them run off before turning to leave.

 

All I wanted now was to go back and get some proper sleep.

 

Just as I was about to walk away, the only man left in the alley called out to me.

 

“Hey, Rabbit.”

 

Rabbit?

 

I turned around in confusion.

 

Only then did I realise I was still wearing the mascot costume. No wonder those thugs had looked so stunned when they saw me.

 

As I glanced in the direction they'd fled, the man spoke again in a lazy, weary voice, a cigarette dangling from his lips.

 

“So... how are you going to take responsibility for this?”

 

“Those blokes I was looking forward to having a bit of fun with have all run off because of you.”

 

“…”

 

“I'm talking to you, Karaoke Shihwaja.”

 

He read the name of the karaoke bar printed across my mascot costume in a flat, emotionless voice. If anyone else had said it, I probably would've laughed, but the coldness in his tone cut through the air and made the atmosphere tense.

 

I looked at him directly.

 

“So, what do you want?”

 

“You'll have to entertain me instead.”

 

How old was he?

 

He looked to be in his late twenties, but it was hard to tell from his eyes. Back when I worked for the loan company, I'd seen the same look in the eyes of the older bosses in the business. It was the look of someone cunning, someone who was never shaken by anything another person said.

 

No matter how relaxed his voice sounded, I knew I had to stay on my guard.

 

Cruel as I was, my work had taught me that there were people in this world far more ruthless than me, and those with eyes like his were exactly the sort of people you should never get involved with.

 

My gaze dropped to the cast on his arm. He was about the same height as the men I'd always charged at without hesitation. If I'd met him a year ago, I probably would've thrown myself at him without a second thought.

 

Then again...

 

He could only use one arm.

 

That meant our chances were probably about even.

 

Fighting wasn't difficult. It was the only thing my body really knew how to do.

 

But I didn't want to fight today.

 

If I fought while I felt this suffocated inside, I'd only end up feeling even worse.

 

When he saw that I wasn't reacting, he must've assumed I had no intention of fighting. He flicked away the cigarette he'd barely smoked, ground it beneath his foot, and smiled.

 

“If you don't fancy it, then I'll just have to make you entertain me.”

 

As he stepped closer, the words left my mouth before I even understood why I was saying them.

 

“Can you sleep with a man?”

 

He froze for the briefest moment.

 

Then, once he'd understood what I meant, the corners of his eyes curved into the first smile I'd seen from him.

 

“If I'm the one on top.”

 

I took off only the lower half of the mascot costume before climbing onto him, leaving the oversized mascot head on the whole time. The giant head made me look ridiculous, like an enormous lollipop.

 

Yet neither of us laughed.

 

I couldn't laugh because it was my first time being on the receiving end.

 

As I forced myself to lower my body onto him, the pain tore through me, making my legs tremble uncontrollably.

 

“Slowly,” he said, as though he were sincerely trying to guide me.

 

It was the strangest sex I'd ever had. The moment our clothes came off, he entered me without so much as a touch or a kiss beforehand.

 

There was only pain.

 

And blood.

 

I wasn't even aroused.

 

All I could do was hope it would be over quickly.

 

Even so, I didn't stop the man beneath me as he thrust up into me. I didn't know what had made him hard, but to stop me from pulling away, he wrapped his free arm around my waist and held me firmly in place.

 

Again and again, he drove into me without mercy while I lay there, too overcome with pain to move, paying no attention to whether I was bleeding. The pain and exhaustion made my consciousness drift, leaving me dazed almost the entire time.

 

The last time he climaxed inside me, I suddenly realised something.

 

I'd been so busy gasping for breath that I hadn't noticed I was crying. Only then did I realise my face was soaked with tears and snot beneath the mascot head, my hot breath trapped inside it.

 

I rested my hands against his stomach to support myself as he finally stopped moving. Then I stayed there, crying for a long time.

 

Perhaps...

 

What I'd really wanted was warmth. But someone like me, who deserved to be punished by Heaven, couldn't accept that warmth without paying a price.

 

If the price was twenty minutes of painful sex...

 

Then so be it. Perhaps that was why I cried. I continued clinging to him, crying into his chest. When I finally looked up, our eyes met. He looked down at me with the same unreadable expression as before.

 

“If you're finished crying, take that mascot head off.”

 

It was as though there was some kind of power behind the casually spoken command.

 

I could've taken it off straight away, but instead I shifted my hips and climbed off him first. The sensation of his length, buried deep inside me, slipping free was painfully clear, and the cloudy white fluid he'd left inside me trickled out after it.

 

I pulled my trousers back on without paying it any attention. When he saw that I was about to leave in that state, he propped himself up and looked at me with an unreadable expression.

 

“Hey, Rabbit. If you want people to like you, you should learn to be a little more obedient.”

 

I listened to his lazy remark as I walked over to him. Standing in front of him as he looked up at me, I asked,

 

“Does something like Heaven's punishment really exist?”

 

“No.”

 

The answer came without the slightest hesitation.

 

I slowly nodded.

 

“You're right. There's no such thing as Heaven's punishment.”

 

The truth was, whether someone deserved Heaven's punishment or not, they still went on living comfortably while continuing to do terrible things.

 

That's right.

 

I hadn't been punished by Heaven. I was simply living with the consequences of my own actions. Perhaps Heaven's punishment was nothing more than a convenient excuse I'd invented for myself. I'd only been trying to shift the blame for my sins onto a Heaven that didn't even exist.

 

There was no point blaming my misfortune for the way my life had turned out.

 

Just then, his lazy voice spoke again.

 

“But karma does exist.”

 

“…”

 

“That's what makes this world so interesting.”

 

A faint dimple appeared at the corner of his smiling mouth. For some reason, I thought it looked oddly adorable—completely at odds with the kind of person he seemed to be. As I reached out my hand—

 

“Ah…!”

 

He grabbed the arm in the cast and sucked in a sharp breath, doubling over slightly.

 

From the swelling and the dark bruises visible around the part of his hand that wasn't covered by the cast, it looked like the injury was still fresh. After I'd twisted his arm like that, he'd probably end up wearing the cast even longer.

 

I felt a little guilty that we hadn't been able to "have more fun", but I picked up the mascot costume from the ground, draped it over my arm, and took the money from my trouser pocket.

 

I pulled out twenty thousand won—the wages I'd earned for wearing the rabbit mascot and handing out flyers. Throwing it down in front of him, I added,

 

“Payment for keeping me company.”

 

Sleeping with a man I'd paid only twenty thousand won for had far greater consequences than I'd expected. I remembered suffering for nearly a week afterwards.

 

And because I didn't know whether the blood that had stained the rabbit costume that day was mine or the thug's...

 

I was sacked the very next day. After that, I never wore the rabbit costume again. Instead, I found a night-shift part-time job at a road construction site.

 

My days returned to being a constant cycle of working myself to the bone from morning until night.

 

Simply enduring each day was more than enough.

 

Looking back now, that was probably the longest I'd ever persevered at anything in my life.

 

Four and a half years passed like that. By the time I turned twenty-five, I'd repaid every last won of my debt—Three hundred and fifty-three million, two hundred and seventy-seven thousand, three hundred and sixty won— despite starting with less than twenty million won of my own.

 

When I handed over the final payment, the president gave me a mocking smile.

 

“Someone like you could make a fortune in this line of work.”

 

Then, with a hint of sarcasm, he added,

 

“If you ever need money again, come and see me.”

 

I was about to leave without saying anything when he called after me, as though he'd suddenly remembered something.

 

“Oh, by the way… did you borrow money from anyone else besides me?”

 

“No, sir.”

 

“Is that so? Hmm… Apparently someone's been looking for you lately. Even the employment agency I introduced you to when you first started repaying your debt got in touch. Did something happen while you were working there?”

 

The rabbit mascot job handing out flyers.

 

It had already been five years since I'd first started paying off my debt. Had I really done any dangerous work back then? The only job I'd got through the place the president had introduced me to was that mascot job.

 

“No, sir.”

 

When I answered curtly, he tilted his head and let out a thoughtful hum.

 

“I thought maybe you'd been so desperate for money that you'd got yourself into trouble. So I told them I didn't know you.”

 

He stared at me as though expecting me to thank him. Since I had nothing more to say, I turned and walked away without another word. Just then, he called after me again, his voice unusually serious.

 

“Hey… don't you want to come back and work for me again?”

 

“No, sir.”

 

“…You've really changed, haven't you?”

 

After that, I heard him ask,

 

“So you've turned over a new leaf?”

 

But I kept walking. I didn't have time to pay any attention. Time was everything when it came to parcel deliveries. Even if I left immediately, I still wouldn't finish delivering everything scheduled for today.

 

It seemed luck was on my side all day. Perhaps it was because today was the day I'd finally paid off my debt.

 

I finished work earlier than usual because several customers accepted multiple parcels at once, saving me a great deal of time. Not one delivery required me to carry heavy boxes above the third floor, either.

 

I really did feel lucky.

 

Unfortunately, that luck seemed to end there.

 

I'd barely climbed back into the van after finishing my route when my supervisor rang.

 

“Oi! There's been an accident over in District XX. The traffic's completely gridlocked. Get over there and help out!”

 

My supervisor was shouting over the background noise, sounding as though he'd gone out to deal with the situation himself.

 

District XX...

 

That was the heart of the office district.

 

Deliveries there were always time-sensitive because everything had to arrive before the offices closed for the evening. It was already half past five.

 

As I turned the steering wheel, I couldn't help thinking that even if I swapped my van for an aeroplane, I'd still never make it in time.

 

By the time I finally arrived at my last destination, I was drenched in sweat.

 

A towering skyscraper stood before me in one of the most expensive business districts in the city. It looked as though a single company occupied most of the building, with only one company sign displayed at the very top.

 

The driver whose vehicle had broken down told me not to rush because people stayed in the building until late.

 

Judging by what I saw, he was right.

 

It was already seven o'clock, yet crowds of people were still coming and going. There were also plenty of delivery drivers.

 

What on earth did everyone do here?

 

The thing that caught my attention most, though, was the number of girls in middle- and high-school uniforms gathered outside the building. I transferred the parcels from the van onto a trolley and rang the bell at the entrance. The security guard spotted me through the glass doors and immediately unlocked them.

 

As soon as the doors opened, the schoolgirls waiting outside craned their necks, trying to peer inside. Excited squeals erupted every now and then, as though they'd caught sight of someone inside.

 

Neither the security guards nor the people walking through the spacious lobby paid them the slightest bit of attention. It was as if they were completely used to the scene.

 

After pushing my trolley inside and receiving a visitor's pass from the guard, I finally discovered what kind of company this was.

 

“I wonder if those girls' parents know they're doing this just to catch a glimpse of their favourite celebrities.”

 

I heard someone mutter nearby as my eyes wandered to the directory mounted on the wall behind the reception desk.

 

The first thing I noticed...

 

was the name of the company.

 

DREAM ENTERTAINMENT

 

The words of my ex-lover, Myeong-shin, resurfaced in my memory.

 

He'd always said it was the number one entertainment company—the one he wanted to join more than anything.

 

...So this was it.

 

This was the company he'd been talking about.

 

For some reason, recalling that part of my past just from seeing the company name made me let out a dry laugh.

 

Come to think of it...

 

I'd been betrayed by my former lover. Yet over the past few years, I'd completely forgotten about it.

 

I slowly pushed my trolley into the lift, watching the floor numbers change one by one.

 

The two women who'd entered the lift with me chatted noisily, clearly flustered, all the way up to my floor.

 

“Honestly, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I heard Director Yoon was the one who found the mistake our department made. Apparently he called everyone in straight after lunch. We're all done for. Just hearing about it has given me indigestion.”

 

“How did he even find out?”

 

“No idea. But you know what people say, don't you? When Director Yoon smiles, it sends a chill down everyone's spine.”

 

“I know, I know. When Director Yoon first came to the company two months ago, everyone misunderstood because of that smile. Weren't there one or two people who got sacked because they thought he was kind and easy-going, so they let their guard down? Looks like everyone's heads are going to roll again this time.”

 

The woman hunched her shoulders as though she genuinely meant it.

 

“I heard he's still quite young and transferred here from one of the overseas branches, so I thought he'd be fairly lenient. Turns out he's more like an executioner from the Joseon Dynasty who's come back from the dead...”

 

Ding.

 

When the lift reached my floor, their voices finally faded behind me. I was only thinking about delivering the parcel as quickly as possible, so I hurriedly pushed my trolley through the opening lift doors.

 

Because I was wearing my cap, I didn't see the man's face as we passed each other in the lift. But I instinctively turned around.

 

Even after five years...

 

I recognised that voice.

 

“Oi! Hurry up! Why are you moving as slowly as a bloody snail? Don't you know I'm already late for filming?”

 

I turned towards the irritated voice.

 

Standing inside the lift was a man in his mid-twenties. His hair was neatly styled, his clothes were expensive, and his build was lean but well-defined. With his arms folded across his chest, he glared at someone rushing towards him down the corridor.

 

“Pant… pant… I-Is this the one?”

 

A man in his mid-forties came running over, breathless, holding up a bottle of drink. He'd obviously just bought it from the vending machine because condensation still clung to the bottle.

 

But it seemed the drink he'd rushed to fetch wasn't the right one.

 

“No.”

 

The cold reply was immediately followed by a curse.

 

“For fuck's sake. Don't tell me you still don't know what I like.”

 

The older man looked completely bewildered.

 

Yet no one walking past paid the slightest attention. No one seemed to find it strange that the younger man was speaking so arrogantly to someone much older than himself.

 

Instead, they looked at me—the one who'd stopped walking—as though I were the odd one.

 

“I'll give you five minutes. If you don't bring me the one I usually drink, I'll have you sacked from the company you worked so hard to get into. Understood?”

 

The lift doors closed with his threat, his irritation obvious in every word. Just before they shut, his eyes briefly swept over me. For a split second, our gazes met.

 

Then he looked away, turning his attention to the person standing beside me. Even after the lift doors closed with a dull thud, I stood there staring for a moment.

 

It was Myeongshin.

 

The man who’d run off with my money five years ago.

 

His appearance had changed so much he almost looked like a different person, but there was no doubt it was him. Even so, I felt nothing. I wasn’t angry or hurt. Not even the fact that he hadn’t recognised me stirred anything inside me.

 

I no longer had any feelings for him. The man who’d betrayed me had become nothing more than a fragment of my past.

 

At least…

 

That was how I felt then.

 

“My son’s tuition… my son’s tuition…”

 

I turned towards the faint muttering. The man holding the bottle was quietly repeating the words to himself, as though trying to calm down. After letting out a long sigh, he turned and ran back the way he’d come.

 

I pushed my trolley forward and returned to my own work. I didn’t think about that chance encounter or those fragments of the past again until I’d finished delivering the parcels and stepped into the lift once more.

 

The person who entered the lift with me reminded me of Myeongshin. His arms were full of bottled drinks. Perhaps he didn’t know which one Myeongshin liked, so he’d simply bought one of everything from the vending machine.

 

The sight brought an involuntary smile to my face.

 

Back then, Myeongshin had rarely spoken about his past. Only occasionally, after he’d had a few drinks, would bits and pieces slip out. Most of them were stories about being bullied at school.

 

He once told me the thing he hated most was being ordered to buy drinks for the other students every single day. The vending machine was a long way from the classroom, so walking there and back during the break was exhausting. Even then, the drinks he bought were never good enough. They’d send him back again and again because it wasn’t the brand they wanted.

 

In the end, he’d bought every single drink in the vending machine. His pocket money disappeared on those drinks every time, and unable to cope with the bullying, he eventually ran away from home.

 

It seemed he’d never truly escaped those memories.

 

Now that he had power, he’d become exactly like the ringleader who’d bullied him in the past.

 

Thunk.

 

One of the bottles slipped from the man’s arms and rolled across the floor. I bent down, picked it up, and held it out to him, but with both arms already full of cold drinks, he couldn’t take it.

 

“I’m sorry. Could you put it on top, please?”

 

As he bowed slightly to ask the favour, another bottle fell to the floor with a thud.

 

“Oh, for goodness’ sake…”

 

I bent down and picked that one up as well.

 

“I’ll carry some for you.”

 

“Thank you very much.”

 

He bowed gratefully before giving me a weary smile. It seemed he knew I was the delivery driver who’d witnessed what had happened earlier.

 

“I must look rather pathetic, don’t I? But when you’ve got to earn a living, there’s not much you can do. This was the only company willing to take me on after the place I worked for went bankrupt. Just having a job to put food on the table is something I’m grateful for…”

 

Halfway through, he suddenly lowered his voice, as though he’d realised he was rambling to someone he’d only just met.

 

“Oh… and one more thing.”

 

“Please don’t post anything online about what you saw just now. You know… about that side of Song Yuhan.”

 

“Who’s Song Yuhan?”

 

He stared at me in astonishment.

 

“Huh?”

 

“You don’t know Song Yuhan? The bastard who sent me to buy all these…” He cleared his throat awkwardly. “…I mean, that actor.”

 

An actor.

 

So he’d finally become what he’d always dreamed of.

 

He’d changed his name, changed his face, and abandoned the timid image he used to have so completely that, if I hadn’t known him before, I probably wouldn’t have recognised him.

 

“He’s not exactly a leading actor yet, but he’s incredibly popular these days. He’s filmed loads of adverts and has been appearing on one of the biggest weekly variety shows for the past couple of months…”

 

I listened without saying anything. It wasn’t something I was interested in.

 

Then, all of a sudden, his voice grew quieter.

 

“Er…”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

He stopped speaking and studied my face carefully. Just as I was beginning to feel uncomfortable under his gaze, he made an unexpected request.

 

“Would you mind taking your cap off for a moment?”

 

“No.”

 

The moment I refused, his eyes widened in surprise.

 

“No, I don’t mean anything strange by it. It’s just… your eyes are remarkable. I only wanted to get a better look at your face…”

 

As soon as the lift chimed, I realised I hadn’t pressed the button for the ground floor where I was supposed to get off. As the doors slid open, I placed the two bottles back into the arms of the man who looked as though he was about to say something.

 

“How old are you, by the way? Or are you still at university? I’m really not some sort of weirdo…”

 

“Five minutes.”

 

I pointed towards the underground car park outside the lift.

 

“I think your time’s already up.”

 

The moment I reminded him about Myeongshin—now calling himself Song Yuhan—he jumped in alarm. Just as I’d expected, he dashed out of the lift at once.

 

Even as he ran, he shouted back, “Please wait here for a minute! Don’t go anywhere! Just wait for me!”

 

He hurried off into the underground car park, looking as though he was about to drop all the drinks at any moment.

 

To be honest, I’d intended to press the close-door button and simply leave. I wasn’t particularly curious about why the man wanted me to wait, nor was I surprised that Myeongshin, whom I’d met again after so many years and who had become a celebrity, hadn’t recognised me.

 

All I was thinking about was getting back to the distribution centre and finishing my night shift sorting parcels.

 

But I never got the chance.

 

Before the lift doors could close, the door to the nearby fire escape opened, and someone walked out.

 

It was Myeongshin.

 

The second time I’d seen him that day.

 

He was walking towards the underground car park with a man in his early thirties wearing a suit. The direction they were heading was the exact opposite of where the man carrying the drinks had run.

 

What caught my attention was that Myeongshin glanced in the direction the man had disappeared before walking away. Although pillars and parked cars partially blocked the view, he was standing in a position where he should have been able to see the older man desperately running to buy the drinks.

 

Yet he simply turned away. Then he gave a quiet, mocking laugh. The moment I saw that smile, my feet moved before I realised it. It was nothing more than a flicker of curiosity.

 

A small curiosity.

 

I wanted to confirm whether Myeongshin really had changed so completely that he was like a different person. For years, I’d been interested in nothing, yet my body moved of its own accord, driven by curiosity about someone I hadn’t seen in so long.

 

Then again…

 

I could have ignored it.

 

I could have gone straight back upstairs and carried on with my life as a delivery driver, never imagining that this tiny moment of curiosity would change my life.

 

Screech… squeak…

 

The wheels of the trolley echoed loudly through the underground car park. I left it beside the lift and quietly followed the direction Myeongshin had gone.

 

He and the man in the suit stopped behind a pillar at the far end of the enormous underground car park. I followed them slowly and silently.

 

I hadn’t expected anything to come of it. If I had to explain why I’d followed them, it was simply because the smile I’d caught a glimpse of earlier had unsettled me.

 

I wanted to see for myself whether that really was Myeongshin.

 

Of course, I already knew the answer.

 

Perhaps the Myeongshin I’d known in the past had been nothing more than an illusion.

 

Or perhaps…

 

I’d never known the real him at all. If that was true, then I’d been deceived from the very beginning—five years ago.

 

“Oh? So, did you find them?”

 

The sudden voice made me stop in my tracks. I ducked behind a tall van.

 

The man in the suit answered Myeongshin, sounding troubled.

 

“I don’t know the details. I only asked Chief Park, Director Yoon’s secretary, a few questions. Even then, he said it was Director Yoon’s personal business and refused to tell me anything.”

 

“But didn’t Director Yoon start looking for that person as soon as he arrived in Korea?”

 

“Yeah… that’s true.”

 

“If I land the lead role in that upcoming drama, I have to get close to Director Yoon somehow. If this goes well, I’ll definitely give you your share.”

 

“You know I always keep my promises.”

 

“So… who exactly is he looking for?”

 

Judging by his silence, it seemed the man in the suit understood.

 

“I think it’s someone he met about five years ago. I caught a glimpse of the note Chief Park had written down. The name was…”

 

“What was the name?”

 

“Shi Hwaja.”

 

A moment of silence fell.

 

For a second, I couldn’t believe what I’d just heard. I even wondered if that was really someone’s name. His parents must have been unbelievably optimistic to give their child a name like that.

 

As I let my thoughts wander, Myeongshin spoke in disbelief.

 

“Shi… Hwaja?”

 

“Yeah. Chief Park seemed frustrated that he couldn’t find him. He kept cursing about this Shi Hwaja guy. Apparently, he even has a nickname.”

 

“What’s the nickname?”

 

“Rabbit.”

 

“A guy called Shi Hwaja… I guess he must have a cute face.”

 

“Do you think Director Yoon has a weakness for cute types?”

 

As soon as Myeongshin muttered that, the other man immediately shook his head.

 

“Maybe not.”

 

“Didn’t you say he was looking for someone he met just once five years ago? Isn’t this some kind of love-at-first-sight story?”

 

“That’s what I thought at first… but this is Director Yoon we’re talking about.”

 

Myeongshin fell silent, as if that alone explained everything.

 

“It’d make more sense if he was looking for him to get revenge over something that happened five years ago.”

 

“Exactly.”

 

“I also heard someone from the executive office say Director Yoon was smiling when he gave the order. Apparently, he was smiling so much his dimples showed.”

 

“…What a terrifying enemy.”

 

Smiling with dimples while plotting revenge? It was a conversation that completely defied common sense. I wondered if I’d misheard them, so I listened even more carefully.

 

“Still, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared. Try digging up more information and report back to me. Who knows? Maybe Director Yoon really is searching for his first love… though there’s absolutely no way that’s the case.”

 

“I’m telling you, that person’s definitely a formidable enemy. Anyway, I’ll see what I can find out and let you know. You’re coming back here again tonight before you head home, right? By the way… aren’t you already late?”

 

The other man sounded anxious, but Myeongshin replied as casually as ever.

 

“Oh, I’m definitely late. That’s the whole point. If I show up late, I’ll have an excuse to fire the manager.”

 

“The manager? Oh, you mean President Choi—the one who joined after the company went bankrupt?”

 

“What do you mean, ‘President’?”

 

Myeongshin scoffed, and the other man chuckled.

 

“He’s still the president of the company you used to belong to, isn’t he? You should show him a bit more respect.”

 

“I was the one who got him this far. Do you know how much I suffered when I was signed to his agency? He couldn’t land a single sponsorship, and all he ever did was bang on about how I’d get good roles once my acting improved. So what, are all those actors landing leading roles doing it purely because of their acting skills? I knew that idiot was bound to end up like this.”

 

The sneer in Myeongshin’s voice was barely audible, but it was easy to imagine how often those words had passed his lips. It was a tone I knew all too well.

 

In the end, all of the drink delivery man’s frantic effort—running around with his arms full of cold drinks—had been completely wasted.

 

There was no need to listen any further. What exactly had I come here to confirm? I only felt irritated by their conversation. It was all so absurd.

 

I turned to leave, intending to go back to my own life, but the next part of their conversation stopped me in my tracks. The man in the suit asked whether the manager would end up speeding if he left so late, and whether he wasn’t worried about getting into an accident.

 

Myeongshin answered in a boastful tone.

 

“Scared? I’ve had a knife held to my throat and nearly died. What have I got to be afraid of?”

 

…A knife held to his throat?

 

Was he talking about what happened five years ago—the memory that occupied so much of my past?

 

Without realising it, I found myself listening more closely.

 

“Seriously?”

 

I heard Myeongshin answer the man in the suit, but something about his reply felt strange.

 

“Yeah… about five years ago, I think. I’ll tell you about it another time. I’ve got to go now.”

 

As footsteps and conversation drew nearer, I quickly ducked behind the van.

 

Clack. Clack. Clack.

 

The sound of leather shoes echoed through the underground car park.

 

For no apparent reason, I suddenly felt sick. My ears rang. What Myeongshin had said might not have meant anything. Maybe he was talking about some completely different incident.

 

That’s what I told myself.

 

Even so, a dark feeling lingered inside me like a thin layer of fog.

 

Not long afterwards, I stepped out from behind the van and headed back towards the lift. Just then, I heard someone shouting angrily somewhere nearby.

 

A moment later, someone came running towards me.

 

It was the drink delivery man, his shirt soaked with sweat just like the drinks he’d been carrying earlier. Panting heavily, he hurriedly held out a business card.

 

“I’m sorry. I have to rush off. Here’s my card. If you’re free…”

 

“I’m free tonight.”

 

He clearly hadn’t expected me to agree so quickly. He blinked in surprise despite being in such a hurry.

 

“Ah… then I…”

 

“I’ll come back here. I don’t mind how late it is. What time do you finish work?”

 

“Really?”

 

He asked again in disbelief, but before I could answer, another shout echoed through the building. His expression changed instantly.

 

He hastily told me what time we should meet before turning and running back the way he’d come.

 

The only thing on the mind of that middle-aged man—with his flushed face drenched in sweat—was probably his son’s tuition fees.

 

I slipped the slightly damp business card into my pocket and stood waiting for the lift. At that moment, there was only one thought in my mind. I need to find out why that conversation has unsettled me so much.

 

By the time I finished my night shift at the sorting centre and returned to Dream Entertainment, it was 12:50 a.m.—only just making it in time for our appointment.

 

I walked into the lobby wearing my old cap and worn work clothes, my body sticky with sweat after working since before dawn. Fortunately, the drink delivery man must have phoned ahead, because the security guard simply checked my business card before handing me a visitor’s pass and allowing me inside.

 

“He’s asked you to wait in Meeting Room 312.”

 

I nodded at the guard, who sounded rather weary, then took the lift and pressed the button for the fifth floor. As the button lit up, the small passenger lift began to move.

 

Earlier, Myeongshin had gone up to the fifth floor—the same floor where I’d delivered the parcel. If he’d come back, there was a good chance he’d return there.

 

Fortunately, it was late at night, so there wasn’t a soul on the fifth floor. Even if I wandered around freely, no one was likely to stop me.

 

I slowly made my way past each room. My worn-out trainers made almost no sound against the floor.

 

Although the corridor lights were off, light seeped through the gaps beneath several doors, making it obvious which rooms were occupied. I stopped outside one of them and listened carefully.

 

I could hear voices coming from inside, but not clearly enough to make out what they were saying.

 

I slipped a piece of chewing gum into my mouth, chewed it as I walked back along the corridor, and soon reached the light switch near the lift.

 

Click.

 

With a soft click, every light in the corridor went out.

 

I stood still for a moment, letting my eyes adjust to the darkness before walking back to the room with the light still shining beneath the door.

 

I removed the chewing gum from my mouth and hid it in my left hand, then knocked on the door with my right.

 

Knock. Knock.

 

As I turned the doorknob, the conversation inside stopped.

 

The door opened, and bright light spilt into the dark corridor, making my eyes sting. The man in the suit shot to his feet, startled, as though they had been discussing something they didn’t want anyone else to hear.

 

“What is it?”

 

He frowned as he spoke.

 

Both he and Myeongshin looked straight at me, but thanks to the cap pulled low over my face, neither of them could get a good look at me.

 

“I’m terribly sorry. I think I’ve got the wrong room.”

 

I bowed as politely as I could before immediately closing the door.

 

Of course, I didn’t forget to wedge the chewing gum into the door latch before it shut. With the latch blocked by the gum, the door wouldn’t close completely and would slowly ease open again.

 

A tiny gap was all I needed.

 

As long as I could hear them, that was enough.

 

I leaned against the wall beside the door and listened to the voices drifting through the narrow opening, along with the light spilling into the corridor.

 

The conversation between the man in the suit and Myeongshin revolved around a television drama set to begin production that year. It sounded like a major production.

 

Myeongshin was convinced that if he landed the lead role, he’d finally become a top star.

From what I gathered, the project was still in its early planning stages. They’d only secured the director so far—they hadn’t even started looking for investors yet. Even so, the two of them spoke with complete confidence that investors would be fighting over the opportunity to fund it.

 

The conversation dragged on, moving from the drama itself to gossip about the actors currently landing leading roles. Eventually, the subject shifted to Director Yoon.

 

“So? Did you find anything out about Director Yoon?”

 

“Oh… Shi Hwaja.”

 

The moment the man in the suit nodded and said the name, Myeongshin burst out laughing.

 

“That name alone is ridiculous. Don’t tell me Director Yoon only remembered him because of a name like that.”

 

“No. I managed to coax a little information out of Chief Park.”

 

His voice dropped, as though he were about to reveal a secret.

 

“Apparently, this Shi Hwaja… spent one night with Director Yoon five years ago. Then he left some money behind and disappeared.”

 

“What? He robbed Director Yoon and legged it?”

 

“No. He left the money behind.”

 

“…Huh?”

 

Myeongshin clearly didn’t understand, asking again in confusion.

 

“W-wait… what do you mean he left money behind and ran off?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

It was the first interesting thing they’d discussed all evening, so I found myself tilting my head without realising it.

 

Director Yoon was determined to hunt down his so-called arch-enemy with a smile on his face because the man had left him money before disappearing?

 

“He left money behind as payment for spending the night together. Then…”

 

After that, the man mentioned the amount, but his voice dropped to almost a whisper, and I couldn’t make it out.

 

Even if it had only been two hundred won, I still couldn’t understand how that was enough to turn someone into a sworn enemy. If someone left you money, shouldn’t you be grateful?

 

Were there really people that strange in the world?

 

Sometimes it felt as though there were an awful lot of people who needed to turn over a new leaf.

 

Then, just like that, the conversation changed.

 

“If they ever catch that guy, he’ll be torn to pieces. Director Yoon will kill him with his own hands.”

 

“Yeah, probably. Oh, didn’t you say someone almost stabbed you to death once?”

 

Finally, they had reached the part I’d been waiting for.

 

I pushed myself away from the wall. Myeongshin’s voice drifted through the gap again, just as boastful as before.

 

“Yeah. About five years ago, some bloke suddenly barged into my house with a knife. Didn’t I tell you? Back then I was living with a thug who was even worse than most of the scum out there.”

 

“I think you’ve mentioned it before.”

 

Myeongshin let out a sneer.

 

“Anyway, this guy came storming in with murder in his eyes, pointing a knife at me and asking if I knew that thug. He said if I did, he’d kill me.”

 

“Someone actually came looking for you? Sounds like that bloke was a real gangster.”

 

“Tell me about it. He wasn’t much taller than me, but he was vicious as hell. Even against people bigger than him, he’d never let go once he got hold of them. He’d fight until one of them was dead, and somehow he’d always win. He went around doing all sorts of rotten things. But since I was living with him, there was only so much I could say.”

 

“So why were you living with him in the first place?”

 

“Because I didn’t have to do anything except flatter him, and he’d hand over loads of money. The idiot was thick as a brick. All I had to do was squeeze out a few tears and put on a little act, and he’d believe every word before giving me everything he had.”

 

He was talking about me.

 

Yet it sounded as dull and detached as listening to them discuss that television drama. Fortunately, he soon moved on to the part I actually wanted to hear.

 

“Anyway, I suddenly realised he might actually kill me because of that bastard. It was obvious he meant to use me as a hostage, and I was completely trapped.”

 

The man listening was completely engrossed.

 

“So what happened next?”

 

“I got incredibly lucky. His little brother just happened to be wandering around outside. He’d come looking for him that morning, but for some reason he showed up again that evening. So I told the guy, ‘Even if you kill me, he won’t bat an eyelid. If you want to hurt him, go and kill his little brother instead.’”

 

“You actually told him to kill the brother?”

 

“What else was I supposed to do? I had to save my own skin.”

 

“After I said that, the guy searched the house several times to check whether I was telling the truth. Then he found a photo of the thug with his little brother, so I showed it to him. After that, he put the knife away and left. I genuinely thought I was going to die.”

 

“What happened to the little brother?”

 

“No idea. I don’t know whether he lived or died.”

 

“It’s all that thug’s fault anyway.”

 

“Mate, you should’ve reported it to the police.”

 

A burst of snickering laughter escaped Myeongshin.

 

“Heh… well…”

 

His laughter rang in my ears as though he were standing right beside me. Then his next words swiftly consumed every corner of my mind.

 

“I was planning to run off with his money anyway. How could I report it to the police? Hahaha.”

 

Turning over a new leaf.

 

It sounded like such a noble phrase.

 

Perhaps I was an example of it. At the very least, I’d left behind the life of a thug and was living like an ordinary person.

 

But had I really changed?

 

Maybe I had, simply because I’d chosen to carry my guilt without ever forgetting that I was a sinner.

 

Yet the laughter echoing through my head told me otherwise.

 

You haven’t changed at all.

 

As rage slowly swallowed me, that laughter whispered one final thing.

 

You’ve already missed your chance to turn over a new leaf.

 

Without thinking, I found myself on the third floor. I’d never intended to meet the drinks manager in the first place. Whether someone became a celebrity or not had nothing to do with my life.

 

But everything had changed now.

 

Creak.

 

As soon as I opened the door, the drinks manager, who had been chatting with a young man sitting in one of the chairs, jumped to his feet.

 

“Ah! There you are! The security guard downstairs said you’d arrived, but when I went to the meeting room you weren’t there. I thought you’d gone home. Where have you been?”

 

I glanced at the wall clock. I was already thirty minutes late.

 

“I was on the fifth floor.”

 

“The fifth floor? What were you doing up there? Ah… you must’ve heard the room number wrong. Honestly, you were probably cursing me for not showing up while you were waiting, weren’t you? Hahaha.”

 

“Were you looking for me?”

 

“…”

 

“Ahem. It seems it’s getting colder tonight.”

 

He abruptly changed the subject with a meaningless comment before gesturing for me to take a seat. Then he pointed towards the young man, who looked to be in his early twenties and was staring at me with sparkling eyes.

 

“Go on, introduce yourself. He’s one of the artists I manage.”

 

As soon as I sat down and turned towards him, he spoke at once.

 

“Hello! Wow, it’s really nice to meet you! Manager Choi—well, he used to be President Choi. He’s only a manager now. Anyway, that means we’ll have the same manager! Actually, besides me, there’s one other celebrity under Manager Choi’s care at the moment, but only temporarily. And, well… he’s kind of awful… Anyway, it’s genuinely nice to meet you!”

 

He bowed enthusiastically, practically shouting the greeting across the room. Apparently, he was naturally loud.

 

Manager Choi gave a wry smile at being called “President” before immediately breaking into the same bright grin as the young man.

 

“Ah, he hasn’t agreed to anything yet. Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

 

In his hands was a document with TEMPORARY CONTRACT printed across the top in large letters.

 

“Since you’ve come all the way here, I assume you’re at least interested. There are quite a few things I need to explain, but before anything else…”

 

He paused and looked at me seriously.

 

“I want to ask you one more time.”

 

“Do you want to take this job?”

 

“I do.”

 

“In that case… the hat… Ahem. Would you mind taking your cap off?”

 

He clearly remembered how firmly I’d refused in the lift earlier, so this time he asked cautiously.

 

Under the expectant gazes of the two of them, I removed the cap I’d been wearing all day. My hair had been flattened into a ridiculous mess, but neither of them laughed. Instead, they studied my face with complete seriousness.

 

They stared for quite some time.

 

Just as I was beginning to grow bored, the young man spoke quietly.

 

“It’s exactly like the boss said.”

 

“See? I told you.”

 

I had no idea what he meant by that, but the drinks manager nodded without taking his eyes off me.

 

“You’re not the sort of man who’s strikingly handsome.”

 

“…”

 

“But your eyes are exceptional.”

 

When I looked back at him, he seemed even more convinced.

 

“Being an actor isn’t just about having a handsome face. Of course, you need acting ability as well. But before that… how should I put it…”

 

He tilted his head, searching for the right words.

 

“It’s something like the ability to draw people in. I’ve been in this industry a long time, so I know. To succeed, you need something that naturally captures people’s attention.”

 

He looked directly into my eyes.

 

“Especially your eyes. They’re what make you different.”

 

“Different in a good way, of course,” he hurriedly added. “Now that I’m looking at you properly… I really do want to sign you.”

 

To be honest, I couldn’t care less what my eyes looked like. Whether they were unusual or not made no difference to me. But the drinks manager and the young man seemed genuinely fascinated.

 

After exchanging an excited glance, they picked up the Polaroid camera that had been sitting on the table.

 

“Still, people can look different on camera. Whether someone photographs well—that sort of thing. I’d like to take a quick picture to check, if you don’t mind.”

 

I nodded.

 

He immediately raised the Polaroid towards me.

 

“Oh, you’ve got a scar on your forehead.”

 

He continued chatting as he adjusted the camera.

 

“For an actor, your face is your livelihood. If you’re serious about this, from now on you absolutely mustn’t let yourself get any more scars.”

 

He pressed the shutter. A soft click echoed through the room, and a small photograph slowly emerged from the camera.

 

The drinks manager was evidently impatient. He pulled the photograph out before it had fully ejected.

 

The moment he looked at it, he frowned.

 

“G-good grief!”

 

“What is it, Boss?”

 

The young man asked in alarm.

 

With an unusually grave expression, the drinks manager held the photograph out in front of him.

 

“It’s completely black.”

 

“Huh? Could the film have expired?”

 

Then the young man suddenly leaned closer.

 

“Oh…! Wait!”

 

“The picture’s starting to develop!”

 

“Oh! You’re right. That’s true, Boss. Polaroids are black at first, aren’t they? The picture only appears after a little while. Hahaha.”

 

“That’s right! Yes, that’s how it works, isn’t it? Looks like we’re the idiots. Hahaha.”

 

What are these idiots doing?

 

I watched the pair of them, unable to stop myself wondering whether they were con artists. Were these two fools really a manager and an actor from one of the country’s biggest entertainment companies? Or was this some sort of routine they used to put people at ease?

 

While I was sizing them up, they were busy evaluating me as well.

 

“Oh… his sharp eyes look much gentler in the photograph.”

 

“They do, don’t they? I suppose that means he comes across as a bit rough in person. Haha.”

 

“Exactly. I thought he only had that stern expression, but he’s got a softer side too. Come and have a look…”

 

“…Are you angry?”

 

“Yes.”

 

The two of them immediately stopped laughing.

 

For a few moments, they simply stared at me like perfectly ordinary people. Before long, they pulled out a mobile phone and began filming me from different angles to see how I looked on camera.

 

Then they reverted to behaving like complete idiots again.

 

If these two really were scammers using fake auditions to lure people in, someone ought to send them to prison together.

 

Just as I was wondering whether I should simply stand up and leave, they finally finished praising how well I looked on camera and got to the point.

 

“You’re even better than I expected. At first glance, you look fairly ordinary, but the longer you look, the more attractive your features become. That’s the sort of face you have. Of course, I’m only judging your appearance for now, but looks are important to begin with. And you aren’t nervous in front of a camera at all.”

 

He smiled.

 

“Right then. Is there anything you’d like to ask?”

 

There was.

 

Only one thing.

 

So I asked the question that mattered most.

 

“Do I have commercial value?”

 

The drinks manager clearly hadn’t expected those words. He went quiet for a moment before nodding.

 

“You do. That’s exactly why I wanted to meet you. Though hearing someone describe themselves as having ‘commercial value’ is a bit…”

 

“How far do you think I could go?”

 

He looked troubled by the question, studying my expressionless face.

 

“Well… if you’re hoping to become a top star straight away…”

 

“I don’t mean that. It’s just curiosity.”

 

He looked at me as though wondering whether that was really all it was. After a small shrug, he examined me again—carefully, repeatedly—before finally speaking.

 

“If my instincts are right…”

 

“…you could reach the very top.”

 

“Is that what you want?”

 

Both he and the young man looked at each other in confusion before turning back to me.

 

“Hang on, we’re getting ahead of ourselves. We haven’t even signed a contract yet. This would be your first time in the industry… it is your first time, isn’t it?”

 

I nodded.

 

“If you’re starting from scratch, you’ve still got a great deal to learn. First, you’d build a solid foundation, then gain experience with smaller roles. After a few years, you’d move up to supporting parts, and eventually you’d work your way into leading roles…”

 

“I don’t want to do it that way.”

 

I interrupted him calmly.

 

“Tell me the fastest way instead.”

 

The two of them exchanged another bewildered glance. This time, the drinks manager looked at me with a grave expression, as though he was beginning to wonder whether he’d judged me completely wrong.

 

“I’m sorry, but if you’re only doing this for money or fame…”

 

“I don’t want either money or fame.”

 

I met his eyes.

 

“I just want the quickest route.”

 

He frowned.

 

“You say you don’t want money or fame, but you still want the fastest way to the top? Then why do you want to become an actor in the first place?”

 

Instead of answering, I turned to the young man.

 

Caught off guard, he blinked several times.

 

“The person Manager Choi is looking after temporarily… is that Song Yuhan?”

 

“Ah… yes.”

 

“Why did you say he’s a terrible person?”

 

“…”

 

When neither of them answered, I voiced my guess.

 

“Did Song Yuhan used to be signed to Manager Choi’s company before betraying him?”

 

The young man’s eyes widened in astonishment.

 

“H-how did you know that? Hyung Yuhan took the advance payment on his contract and then disappeared to another agency…”

 

“That’s enough.”

 

Manager Choi cut him off before turning back to me.

 

“So… how much do you know about Yuhan?”

 

Rather than answering, I asked another question.

 

“When you first met Song Yuhan… did you think he could reach the top?”

 

“…What?”

 

“Did you have the same instinct you said you had about me?”

 

The warmth vanished from Manager Choi’s face, replaced by open suspicion. It looked as though he wanted to vent his irritation at my questions, but he swallowed it down with a sigh instead.

 

“No.”

 

“Not to the same extent as you.”

 

“Then…”

 

I nodded slowly.

 

“…that means I’ve got a chance of beating him.”

 

“What do you mean, ‘beating him’?”

 

I ignored the question and answered the one he’d asked earlier instead.

 

“I don’t know Song Yuhan.”

 

“…What?”

 

“But I do know Song Myeong-shin.”

 

Manager Choi’s expression immediately stiffened. He clearly knew that Song Myeong-shin was Song Yuhan’s real name.

 

The young man beside him looked back and forth between us in complete confusion. Although the atmosphere had settled slightly, he wisely kept quiet.

 

Manager Choi spoke again.

 

“So you didn’t come here because of me.”

 

“You came because of Myeong-shin… because he changed his name to Yuhan.”

 

I hesitated.

 

There was anger hidden beneath his calm voice.

 

We hadn’t known each other for long, but I’d already formed a rough idea of the kind of man he was. He seemed like the sort of person who threw himself wholeheartedly into his work—so wholeheartedly, in fact, that he never realised how blindly he believed in it.

 

He was straightforward, almost foolishly sincere, the kind of man who devoted everything to what he thought was right.

 

If that was the case, then he was probably the worst possible kind of person for me.

 

If I told him what I was really thinking, there was a high chance he’d simply tell me to leave.

 

Still…

 

Even if it wasn’t through him, I could probably find another way into the entertainment industry. Or perhaps I could lie my way out of this situation for now and take my revenge later.

 

As various possibilities ran through my mind, my gaze fell on the hand resting on the table.

 

A pale white ring mark circled the ring finger of his left hand. When I looked a little lower, I noticed the frayed cuffs of his jacket.

 

The finger that had once worn a wedding ring, and the worn, shabby clothes he was dressed in.

 

“What is the most important thing to you as a manager?”

 

I looked up and asked.

 

His face was practically covered in question marks.

 

“Is your work the most important thing? Or is it seeing the actor you’ve raised reach the very top?”

 

“Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”

 

“I was just curious. If your answer is yes, then I’ll leave without another word.”

 

He blinked several times, clearly unable to understand what I meant.

 

“Of course my work is important…”

 

“Isn’t your family more important?”

 

“…”

 

“Haven’t you been putting up with Myeong-shin’s abuse just so you can pay for your child’s tuition?”

 

“Hey… what exactly are you trying to say?”

 

“Right now, you’re living for your family, aren’t you? I don’t know what things were like before, but in your current situation, you’ve even sold your wedding ring.”

 

Looking at the empty ring finger on his left hand, I continued calmly.

 

“Shouldn’t your family come first?”

 

“You were betrayed by an actor you trusted, and on top of that, your company went bankrupt. You already know that you can’t live according to your dreams because the world isn’t fair.”

 

“If you want something, the only way to get it is to adapt to an unfair world.”

 

“So use me.”

 

“I may be the complete opposite of everything you believe in, but if I have commercial value… then sign me.”

 

“Unless… you’ve completely given up on revenge and want to go back to the way things used to be.”

 

“…I’ve never thought about revenge.”

 

“But I have.”

 

I told him the truth that had been buried deep inside me.

 

“I want revenge.”