Double Junk - 56

56

“Oh, he’s there. Still, I bring meals, so I set the table for him at each meal.”

“How was it? His actions, do they seem like something he would do? It probably is, right? He was at the Jongno office the day the medicine went missing, and suddenly he disappeared for a few hours? And then he came back.”

“Did they say the Jongno pharmacy was closed that day?”

“Well, it still seems strange.”

“I think…”

“Yeah.”

“It doesn’t seem like something he would do.”

“Why?”

“He didn’t seem scared, just sitting quietly. When I give him food, he bows and eats eagerly. He eats quickly, expressing gratitude when I bring him a plate to fill up again. If he had done something wrong, he wouldn’t be able to eat like that.”

“Maybe the boss is leaving it alone because it’s unclear?”

“That’s probably it. The gangster who left earlier said they might all come back tomorrow night, or maybe even tonight, so we’ll know soon.”

“I’m curious…”

Listening up to there, Ajin turned around and headed to the kitchen with a stern expression.

The kitchen was quiet. The organization members didn’t eat at home, so it was that way. The servants, who had a strong appetite, quickly finished the food at the level of children’s lunch boxes compared to the organization members’ usual meals.

Ajin went to sit next to Flower Lady, who was sitting in a corner. She was drinking coffee. It was made from cheap coffee beans with added sugar.

“Why are you only drinking coffee without eating?”

Ajin took her coffee, took a sip, and handed it back.

“I had lunch. I don’t want to bother with using utensils. It’s been a while since I had a break, so I should rest properly.”

“How can it be bothersome to eat? Hey, is something strange with you since the last time, Auntie? You keep refusing food?”

“Try working in the kitchen after resting. Just looking at the dishes makes me dizzy. But do you think about eating rice at a time like this?”

Flower Lady casually spoke while holding the cup with both hands. Ajin looked at her with a disinterested expression. She didn’t look well. Maybe because the kitchen was dark. Ajin observed her for a while with a sharp gaze, then heaved a sigh and sat close to her again.

“What do you think, Auntie?”

“About what?”

“About the stolen medicine. Do you think it was Jin-geol who did it?”

“How would I know?”

“You know everything, Auntie.”

“….”

“That time, you were staring at the boss and Jin-geol like this. What are you looking at to be like that?”

Ajin opened his eyes slightly. Three days ago, on the day Jin-geol was being beaten, she mimicked looking back and forth between Seokju and Jin-geol. Flower Lady matched Ajin’s gaze with her sharp eyes.

“You saw it too.”

“Yeah?”

“The boss, Jin-geol, and you, the three of you. It was strange.”

“Are you saying something bad?”

“That’s right.”

Ajin’s eye corners slid down. He bit his lips. His fingers, unable to stay still, scratched his bony knees, twisted, and tapped on the floor of Busan. Then, suddenly, he raised his eyes.

“Because of Jin-geol? It wasn’t like that before. When it was just the boss, me, and him, there wasn’t such a thing.”

“I told you. It’s not just the two of you.”

“…”

Ajin tightly sealed his lips. His pupils shook anxiously. Flower Lady’s words weren’t absolute. She had a strange intuition, not divine insight. Yet, he felt uneasy. Ajin knew that Flower Lady had never been wrong before.

Because of Jin-geol. If Jin-geol disappears, wouldn’t everything be fine? Then, they could go back to how things were, right? Should he tell Seokju? Should he lie, saying he saw Jin-geol taking the medicine?

Ajin was fearful and anxious. Afraid that this happiness and stability might shatter. It was a happiness he had never experienced, never thought he could have. He couldn’t just watch it break because of someone else.

As Ajin’s legs trembled, Flower Lady gently caressed his broken knee.

“Ajin.”

“Hmm?”

“Don’t you want to leave from here?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Leave this house. I have a bad feeling.”

Ajin blinked his eyes quickly. His previously troubled complexion turned pale in an instant. For a moment, he imagined himself standing in the middle of a road where a car as large as the entire house was rushing. He saw himself trembling alone in a collapsing wooden house. His throat felt parched.

Seeing Ajin’s face, which was dying moment by moment, Flower Lady sighed deeply.

“No, forget it. How can a kid like you survive if you leave? I’ll watch a bit longer and let you know.”

Ajin closed and opened his eyes quickly. He held Flower Lady’s hand that was gently touching his broken knee.

“I can’t live like this. Auntie, you’ll come with me, right?”

“Me?”

“Yeah, we can live together. Whether here or outside. So, if I have to leave, tell me. I have a lot of money. I won’t let you get your hands dirty, Auntie.”

“Nonsense. Who said I’ll live with you? And why are you talking about something s3xy to me? Shameless.”

Flower Lady laughed with a fluttering sound. Ajin leaned his head against her shoulder and tightly held her hand.

“Really. As long as Auntie is there.”

But if we’re leaving, we have to leave early. If we stay longer, I might rather die in the boss’s arms.

* * *

Even though the sun had risen, it was dark as rain started early in the morning. At the same time, the temperature dropped sharply. Ajin felt low all day due to the chilly dampness. But today, he’s coming back. They can sleep together tonight. Thinking about it, he endured. He went to the kitchen, chopped vegetables, and moved firewood.

Around the time when the day became dark.

Dang, dang, dang!

The sound of the bell rang. Ajin quickly raised his head.

Seokju had returned.

On rainy days, the servants didn’t go out to greet Seokju at the gate. Thanks to Seokju’s words that there was no need to greet in the rain, they didn’t have to stand in the rain to say hello. The servants bowed their waists at the sound of the bell, then diligently continued with the evening preparations.

Ajin, who was standing awkwardly among them, noticed their reactions and left the kitchen. He walked through the corridor through the door connecting to the main room. At that moment, organization members coming in through the front entrance appeared. Ajin’s eyebrows arched. He raised his chin and carefully looked around for Seokju’s traces.

Finding Seokju wasn’t difficult. With a height of 190, he stood out prominently even among well-built men.

Seokju had a strange expression on his face. It was usually indifferent, but today, the ends of his eyebrows were slightly raised. His forehead was narrowed, and he clenched and released his molars, making his temple pulse. The tie was not visible, and the robe was crumpled carelessly in one hand.

A chilling aura emanated from his face. Ajin had to stop even the steps he was about to take.

Seokju walked past the main hall and entered his room. Slam! The door closed with a loud sound. The spacious corridor seemed to shake the entire roof with the echoing noise.

The organization members bowed in front of Seokju’s door and then dispersed with a heavy atmosphere.

Ajin blinked his eyes quickly. Then, he cautiously approached Seokju’s room. Looking at the solid door latch, he was about to bite his lips, exhaling a strong breath, reaching out with determination. Someone quickly pulled his elbow backward.

Although the force wasn’t strong, Ajin, who was in a vulnerable state, almost fell. Startled, Ajin turned around with the eyes of a frightened rabbit. Myungjin was standing there.

“Don’t go in.”

“…What?”

“If the boss is pissed off, he likes to vent alone. It’s not good for family members to see him angry. It’s his way of consideration, so don’t go in.”

“Oh, how long will he be alone?”

“It varies each time.”

Ajin nodded dejectedly. He wanted to see Seokju. If there was a chance to comfort or calm him, he wanted that. Although he considered pretending not to know and going in, he couldn’t ignore Myungjin’s words. Myungjin knew Seokju much better than he did.

“Then, I’ll come back later.”

Bowing his waist, Ajin sighed again and turned around. At that moment, Myungjin grabbed him again.

“Ajin, do you smoke?”

Awkwardly sucking in the cigarette smoke, Ajin tightly sealed his lips. His eyebrows reddened, and his forehead became wrinkled. After a while, unable to bear it, he coughed and expelled the hazy smoke.

Watching him with amusement, Myungjin chuckled.

Ajin and Myungjin stood under a secluded eave. Raindrops fell on the curved tiles, making a sound as if they were about to touch the tips of their shoes. The pouring rain sounded intense and refreshing. The wet wood and soil, saturated with rain, emitted a cool but pleasant scent, spreading through the air.

In the midst of that, the fragrant tobacco smoke flowed like a snake.

As Ajin, with his arms around his stomach, coughed continuously, Myungjin thumped his back. With that powerful force, Ajin almost fell into the yard. Barely putting strength into his toes, Ajin endured and lowered his coughing.

Myungjin, who was standing next to him and watching, chuckled and asked with a cigarette in one side of his mouth.

“Do you remember smoking at the gambling den, even though it was a tough place?”

“I need money to buy cigarettes. When I was at the gambling den, my daily wage was only 20 won.”

“20 won? Even in Busan, they don’t pay that little for a day’s work…”

“Well… Boss Kim is a stingy bastard.”

Ajin shook the cigarette, saying he didn’t know the taste, and Myungjin widened his eyes at the sudden profanity. Then, he burst into laughter again.