Double Junk - 15

Chapter 15

Still, what can you do? Even with that beautiful, radiant complexion, he sometimes looks like a well-bred young master. No, he probably hasn’t done dishwashing in his entire life. Anyway, Seokju wasn’t someone who suited dishwashing.

Ajin glanced anxiously at the pot. Then, he let out a deep sigh and turned his head. It wasn’t an expensive glass bowl, and it was a pot. No matter how monstrous his strength might be, would he really use his bare hands to clean an iron pot?

Ajin made an effort to focus on dishwashing. Seokju, who had quickly washed the pot, gently removed the pile of dishes in front of Ajin. Ajin raised his buttocks, opened his eyes wide, and scrutinized what Seokju had cleaned. He checked for any rice grains or chili powder. But to his surprise, it was spotless.

It seemed like all the dried food residue had been washed away as if by magic. Ajin looked at the sparkling dishes with a sense of wonder.

…Is his hand unexpectedly skilled?

Ajin shook his head several times and finished the dishwashing. He rinsed the dishes one last time and wiped his wet hands on his pants, looking at Seokju with a tired expression.

“Why did you come? Did you really come to wash the dishes?”

“No, to give you money.”

Ajin’s face turned cold all of a sudden. As if he hadn’t heard anything, or rather, as if he didn’t want to hear anything, he swiftly turned away. Then, with a brisk gait, he crossed the yard. Seokju, with his long legs, quickly caught up to Ajin and stood in front of him. His robe fluttered in the night breeze. The fabric was so fine that it resembled a butterfly’s wings.

Seokju extended the money to Ajin. It wasn’t a wad of cash like the last time but rather a neatly folded envelope containing money. Ajin stared at it as if he were watching an arch-nemesis. Seokju spoke with a soft voice.

“I’m not giving it as compensation. I’m giving it as an apology, apologizing with money like a bastard. So take it. If it’s not enough, ask for more.”

Ajin bit his lower lip and asked, “What does that mean?”

Seokju inquired in a puzzled tone, “What?”

Ajin chose to remain silent. He couldn’t bring himself to say it because he couldn’t go outside. He thought that keeping this money would make him look suspicious. Would he appear strange if he continued to work as a servant while holding this money? That was the reason behind his hesitation.

Ajin took a half step back, lowered his head, and said, “I have no use for this money.”

Seokju questioned, “Why is it useless?”

Ajin fell silent.

He couldn’t leave, so he couldn’t say that. He couldn’t say it because he was bound to this place. What if he went outside with this money? Would it be strange if he continued to work as a servant? He didn’t want to leave. He had no family, and if he lived alone, he would have to cook his own meals, buy his own vegetables, and sleep alone. He would have to go out often.

And then, the car might run over him. Later, it might even flatten the entire house.

Ajin reluctantly accepted the money. He had no intention of using it, but it couldn’t hurt to hide it between his clothes, in a crevice in the attic, or under the floorboards. He thought that by taking this money, Seokju might not look for him anymore.

Seokju’s expression brightened considerably. He seemed to believe that the weight of his guilt had lessened.

Ajin grasped the envelope of money and glanced at Seokju with a perplexed expression.

“Is it from the boss?”

“Yes.”

“Bedding and medicine?”

“Yes.”

Seokju agreed right away. The sly smile on his lips suggested that he was quite pleased with his method of atonement.

Ajin let out a small chuckle. Was the boss really a demon? He had not only apologized profusely for scolding him earlier but was also giving him money for bedding and medicine.

A thought crossed his mind: even though the boss had scolded him, it would have been much easier for Ajin if he had been thrown into the mountains to be devoured by wild beasts. Buying things was more troublesome.

As Ajin began to say that the apology was accepted, Seokju suddenly moved closer. Their proximity was so intimate that Seokju’s warm breath almost touched Ajin’s forehead.

Ajin felt a strong pressure as if his entire body were tied with a rope. He wanted to step back, but he felt it instinctively. He sensed that if he ran away, he might lose his life.

Seokju lightly licked his lower lip. His warm breath left a red tongue that appeared and disappeared.

Seeing this, Ajin quickly lowered his eyes. The memory of that night when Seokju had licked his cheek and chest suddenly resurfaced. Strangely, his nipples tingled, and he raised and lowered his shoulders.

At that moment, Seokju whispered in a low voice, “Apology…”

“Yes?”

“Did you accept the apology… verbally?”

“But you’re apologizing with money right now.”

Seokju was taken aback by Ajin’s matter-of-fact response, which was also odd. Why was he taken aback? If it were any other superior, he would have probably been slapped in the face immediately. In any case, Seokju was a strange person.

Seokju let out a long breath through his nose. His breath spread over Ajin’s tousled bangs. Ajin’s clear azure eyes briefly appeared and disappeared. Seokju gazed at him intently and said, “So, there should have been a spoon next to the bedding.”

Ajin’s eyelashes fluttered upward. He remembered the spoon that was left on the floor this morning. Could it be that Seokju had given him that too?

Instead of feeling happy, he let out a sigh. He had caused quite a commotion; the other servants must have figured out what was going on between him and Seokju. He was sure they were gossiping about it.

Ajin narrowed his eyes for a moment and then relaxed. Even though he was already considered a difficult servant, he had borne all kinds of abuse. He thought the days ahead would be even more challenging.

“I’ll look for it before you go to bed.”

“Okay, then—”

“Goodnight.”

Ajin bowed properly, as he always did. Seokju didn’t like it because it felt like Ajin was drawing a line, even though it was just a formality. Well, there was some other reason for not wanting lines drawn.

Ajin left before Seokju could say anything else.

Watching Ajin slowly move away, Seokju recalled the gaze he had seen a few seconds ago, that pair of eyes. Overlapping it was the memory of that night when Ajin had cried beneath him.

Ajin didn’t have any idea that he was once again getting an erection.

The servants, who were busy all day, were now lying down to rest early in the evening. The sound of snoring was noisy in various places. Ajin, who quietly entered his room, spread out the bedding first. While doing so, he noticed the futon and the eye-catching down blanket.

He thought, “…” and spread out the soft, warm blanket, which was more useful to him than the money. It was cozy and comfortable, and it was perfect for Ajin, who often felt cold. It was a summer night, so the other servants probably wouldn’t covet it.

After arranging the bedding, Ajin remembered the small container he had placed on top of the dresser this morning. Ajin sat down, folded his legs, and opened the container with excitement and trepidation.

The space between his brows immediately wrinkled.

“What is this…?”

Inside the small container were five round apples.

Ajin was kneeling in the corridor, diligently scrubbing the floor. Today, the sudden return of the master and his men had caught the servants off guard. They were all exhausted, having quickly prepared a hasty lunch using the remaining rice from the pot and some kimchi. The servants had just started to relax when they heard the banging, making them all jump up as if they had been struck by lightning.

The kitchen had been busy preparing dinner, and the other servants were scattered about doing their various tasks. Ajin, too, had come to the corridor to attend to his duties.

He checked whether the lamp’s shade was torn or if it had been burnt by the flame and examined the floorboards to see if they had been warped or rotted due to the humidity of the summer or frequent rain. Then, he used a dry mop to sweep the wooden floors, following the grain of the wood.

A traditional Korean house needed constant care and attention. If you paid attention to it, it would shine brighter, but if you neglected it, it would quickly warp and become diseased. Ajin didn’t know this, having lived in a gambling den his whole life, but the other servants who had worked in noble houses had told him so. Well, that was probably the case.

It was a bit of a hassle, but it was easier than working in a gambling den. In the gambling den, you had to clean up other people’s excrement and urine, as well as the bloodstains from fights, and you had to scrub the toilets that were left by someone else.

Ajin was so engrossed in his work that he didn’t notice the gaze, the steady, sticky stare, at first. But as the lamp in the room behind him began to be lit, he felt the shadow of a hand pass over the back of his hand, which was resting on the floor.

Ajin glanced at the spot where the shadow had touched him and pretended not to know. He continued to scrub the floor as if nothing had happened.

It wasn’t until his shadow brushed against the back of his hand several times as he worked that he finally realized someone was watching him.

Ajin’s suddenly jolted back, his warm buttocks pressed closely against the wooden floor, his ten white toes glued to the wooden floor, his pink heels protruding, and a thin, delicate ankle strap that appeared as his hair fell forward, while leaning against the wooden pillar.

Someone was peering at him, observing his every move. Ajin pretended not to notice and continued scrubbing the floor.

He began to feel that someone was stealing glances at him, but he didn’t look up. Instead, he kept his head down and continued cleaning.

The stare continued, unbroken, as Ajin moved towards Seokju’s room. In the past, Ajin had occasionally eavesdropped by pretending to listen carefully, peeked through the crack in the door, or examined Seokju’s ashtray by his door. But lately, he hadn’t done any of that.

Wandering around the master’s room felt somehow shameful and embarrassing. But today, annoyance replaced his embarrassment. It was all because of the master of this mansion, who followed the servants cleaning with his enormous figure.

Ajin wrung out the mop and muttered into the air, “Who gave the apples?”