Double Junk - 19

Chapter 19

Ajin stared blankly at the ceiling. In the distance, he could hear Seokju scribbling something. Scratch, scratch. It was a pleasant sound, like music compared to the snores of the workers sleeping together.

Ajin sneakily glanced at Seokju and, belatedly, started to take in the view of his room.

Seokju’s room had no frills. The office of a gambling house owner would usually be filled with various decorations and luxury items. However, Seokju, despite being wealthy enough to give away a substantial amount of money, had few decorations.

The room had a simple chest of drawers with no patterns, and the only expensive-looking item was a sofa placed on one side. Still, the room didn’t appear empty or shabby. As soon as he opened the door, a large painting on the wall caught Ajin’s eye.

It was a painting of waves.

The vast canvas was filled with waves, starting with thick brush strokes at the beginning of the waves, gradually thinning out as they extended. The deep blue and light blue colors gave a sense of coldness. It was a powerful painting, yet the foamy waves appeared soft.

It felt like he was looking at the real sea, even though Ajin had never really seen the sea in his life.

In one corner of the painting, the characters “汰會” were written forcefully. It looked like it could be the Taeho branch of the Taeho faction. Taeho means gathering of waves.

After gazing at the painting for a while, Ajin finally tore his eyes away and pulled the blanket over himself. Perhaps it was the sight of the waves, but his body felt restless. Seokju, with a shirt and a cigarette in his mouth, had unbuttoned the top two buttons and rolled up his sleeves. Ajin clutched the blanket tighter.

“…”

Ajin watched Seokju in silence. Seokju continued to write and check something. He didn’t give Ajin a second glance.

Ajin felt somewhat hurt, even though there was nothing to be hurt about. After all, he was just a servant, here only to help the sleepless boss get some rest.

Unable to resist, Ajin called out to Seokju, who continued to work.

“Boss.”

“Yeah?”

Seokju answered as he looked at Ajin. Ajin turned his body towards Seokju. Their eyes met from a distance.

“Why don’t you use the bed, Boss?”

“Because my nature is plebeian, and I can’t sleep in a bed.”

At that statement, Ajin laughed. How could he, the boss who bragged in front of commoners about being a commoner himself, say such a thing? Seokju might do whatever he did for a living, but he was undoubtedly enjoying good food, living in a nice house, and having money in his wallet. He was by no means a commoner.

Seokju raised an eyebrow at Ajin’s laughter. Ajin was amazed at how Seokju, despite the situation, acted as if he were genuinely a commoner. As Ajin rolled up the blanket around himself, he said:

“Boss, how can you call yourself a plebeian when you live in a house like this?”

“…”

“Your nature is probably aristocratic.”

“…”

“Boss, regardless of what kind of life you’ve lived in the past, you’ve found your place now.”

“…”

“That’s what Madam Hwagot told me. She said that only by seeing a person’s dying moments can you truly understand their character. If you live complaining all your life, you’ll end up a whining old man. So, the next life will be tough.”

Seokju slowly blinked his eyes. He then burst into laughter. It was fascinating that Ajin, who didn’t look much, was having such an impact on him. Seokju realized that the enigmatic “Madam Hwagot” was significantly influencing Ajin.

“My dying moments don’t seem to be very aristocratic.”

“Well, how would you know? The world changes so quickly these days. Who knows if you’ll become a member of parliament or even the president?”

“…”

Ajin’s laughter echoed in the room. Seokju smiled, seemingly content with this strange but comforting conversation.

Ajin sighed. Seokju rested his chin on the desk and stared down at Ajin with his deep black eyes.

“What about you?”

“Me?”

“What do you want to become, Ajin?”

Ajin scratched his chin in response to the returned question. Then he hid his hand under the blanket when he saw Seokju’s forehead furrow.

“I… I don’t want to become anything, I just hope I don’t die.”

With a somewhat whimsical response, Seokju’s eyes crinkled in amusement. He laughed heartily, then suppressed his smile by pressing his hand against his cheek.

“You want to become immortal?”

“No, no. I mean, when you become a grandfather in fifty years, you’ll eventually die, right? But I want to live until then. Whether as a servant or a successful wealthy person, it doesn’t matter. I just want to keep on living. I don’t like pain, and I don’t like death.”

Seokju’s face lost its expression as he listened to Ajin. He glanced briefly at Ajin’s legs, tucked under the blanket. The reason why Ajin feared pain and death was not difficult to understand. Seokju didn’t know the details, and he didn’t particularly want to. Misery only multiplied when shared.

Then, Ajin began to fidget, unfurling the blanket to cover himself up to his chin. Seokju, noticing this, asked in a gentle tone.

“Are you cold?”

“A little.”

“I’m hot.”

“…”

“Come here.”

Seokju tapped the desk. Ajin blinked and, after some hesitation, slowly got up. He didn’t need to ask why. Life was about coming and going. For Ajin, it was just a matter of course.

Ajin stood by the desk. Then Seokju slid his hands under Ajin’s armpits and lifted him onto his lap.

“Uh, Boss…”

Ajin mumbled awkwardly. Seokju held Ajin’s waist firmly and made him look straight ahead.

Seokju sat in his chair, with Ajin seated on his thigh, in a strange position. Ajin had never been embraced like this by anyone before.

Ajin didn’t know how to react and kept rolling his eyes. Suddenly, warmth spread to his back. Seokju was embracing him from behind. It felt like a thick fur coat had been turned inside out, and warmth flooded in. Ajin’s tense shoulders relaxed.

“Stay still. If you keep moving, I’ll throw you off.”

“…”

Seokju rested his chin on Ajin’s shoulder and continued writing with his pen. Ajin’s gaze followed Seokju’s hand as the pen scratched against the paper. The sound of writing was closer and clearer than when Ajin was lying under the blanket. It had an oddly peaceful quality.

Before long, Ajin became completely accustomed to being in Seokju’s arms. Even the sensation of Seokju’s thigh under him didn’t feel as strange as he had initially thought. Instead, it was much warmer than being under the blanket. Ajin curled up like a soaked rice cake, fitting perfectly into Seokju’s embrace.

Seokju lovingly nuzzled Ajin’s shoulder as he continued working.

“Why are you so warm, Boss?”

Ajin mumbled with a drowsy tone.

“During summer, most people would be warm, not me. You’re the one who’s strange.”

“Is that so?”

“Busan is even hotter than Seoul. There were times when I would go swimming to cool off during the hottest days.”

“Ah, I see.”

Ajin replied slowly. His words were becoming shorter for some reason.

Seokju chuckled at Ajin’s mumbled answers, and Ajin, dozing off, leaned his head against Seokju’s chest. He fidgeted occasionally, reaching for the pen on the desk, then dozed off again, repeating the cycle.

Then he spotted a square, golden card in the corner of the desk. It was a business card holder, and Ajin tentatively picked it up. He glanced at Seokju to see if he would protest, ready to put it down if he did. But Seokju just looked briefly and returned to his work.

Ajin took it as permission and opened the business card holder. Inside were stiff business cards. The cards had black backgrounds with gold borders around the edges. The writing was all in white, but it wasn’t a bright white, more like silver, giving it an almost metallic feel.

[Taeho Trading Company

President Kang Seokju

Address: Across from the Academy Theater, Jongno, Seoul

Phone: (02) 732-5023]

Ajin stared at the stiff business card. Then he turned it over. On the back, it said “Taeho Trading Company,” with a white wave pattern rising against a white background. Ajin flipped the card again.

Even though Kim Roshon couldn’t read a single word, it still looked impressive to him. Having a business card that could describe one’s identity felt luxurious. Ajin, who had no real identity, couldn’t help but feel envious.

Ajin couldn’t tear his eyes away from the business card, and Seokju’s gaze was drawn down as well. As Ajin stared, Seokju, with a playful smile, tapped his name with his index finger.

“It says ‘Day’ (晝) in my name.”

“Yes?”

“Kang Seokju’s ‘ju’ means ‘day’.”

“…Is that so?”

“Your name means ‘early evening.'”

“How do you know that?”

“There’s nothing I don’t know.”

Seokju’s light-hearted remark made Ajin’s mouth drop open. He muttered to himself, “I see.” It was as if he were talking to himself like a naive child. Seokju couldn’t help but chuckle at the sensation of teasing an innocent child. He brushed Ajin’s bangs aside. Ajin had a round, pale forehead that resembled the moon.

“I’m Day, so I’m hot, and you’re Evening, so you’re cold.”

“…”

“That’s why it’s essential to choose a good name.”

Ajin pulled a half-serious expression at those words. Then he raised an objection while looking at Seokju.

“But I like my name.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes. It’s better than names like Byeonggap, Changgae, Dolpo, or Boksoe. I’d rather be cold for a lifetime than live with those names.”

Seokju burst into unexpected laughter at the reason. Yes, it was better to be cold for a lifetime with a common and quirky name than to have a name like Byeonggap. He found it amusing that Ajin, with a name like Byeonggap, thought it was funnier. Seokju couldn’t stop laughing, and he chuckled loudly. Then, Ajin shook the business card.

“Can I have one of these, please?”