Double Junk - 67

Shattered Reality

Two days had passed. Ajin spent the two days without any notable incidents.

Every morning, he swept the yard, helped in the kitchen, packed lunchboxes for the hospital, reluctantly studied the unreadable text that never caught his interest, and at night, he entered his room, curled up, and fell asleep.

The howling wind and the loud snores of other men in the crowded sleeping quarters made it uncomfortable. He thought sleeping in Seokju’s room would be more comfortable, but despite thinking about it, his steps never led him there.

Strangely, he couldn’t bring himself to enter Seokju’s room. It felt as if he would be trespassing, and the thought of being scolded for daring to step inside was terrifying.

“If you cower, you become a sinner in an instant. That’s how the world, people make it. So, act confidently.”

He tried to remember the words Flower had said someday, but whenever he received suspicious glances from the servants, he involuntarily hunched his shoulders, his head bowing inward.

It made sense; Seokju wasn’t at home, neither was Myungjin, and even Flower was absent. In this situation, the servants’ gossip became louder, and their resentment toward Ajin, hidden until now, was now expressed without restraint.

“I knew it. Ajin is a bit… strange. Always walking around with his hair like this. Like a ghost… and on top of that, being disabled, it’s filthy. It’s not like we share a meal with someone like that normally.”

“No, how could he think of sharing a meal with a leg-disabled person and a prostitute?”

“That’s right. Doeun didn’t see him that way, but somehow, she got involved with the same scumbag, tsk tsk…”

“So, their relationship was like that, and when the boss scolded Ajin, Doeun came to seek revenge?”

“That seems to be the case.”

“It’s strange, though. Why did Myungjin get stabbed with a knife?”

“…I don’t know. But has Doeun become a bit strange lately?”

“Well, I never really saw Doeun when I was at the gambling den…”

“Mr. Kim, you usually bring food to Doeun in the warehouse, right? What did she say?”

“Well… she’s completely lost her mind, Doeun.”

“What do you mean?”

“Uh, when the boss shot her in the shoulder…”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“But she didn’t flinch at all.”

“Like when Jin-geol was trapped last time?”

“Yeah… Jin-geol greeted and ate as soon as I gave him food, but Doeun doesn’t respond, just mutters words I can’t understand. Sometimes he has seizures like he’s possessed…”

“Is he possessed by a ghost?”

“Well, that could be possible. Mr. Kim, be careful when you go to the warehouse.”

“G-ghost? Bullshit. Should I just bring him food? He doesn’t eat it anyway.”

“Well, um… I overheard what the gangsters who went for lunch said.”

“Why? What happened?”

“It seems Doeun has become a drug addict.”

“Huh? Drugs? Are you talking about that stuff the gangsters here sell?”

“Yeah. So, Doeun stole the medicine from this house secretly and gave it to Ajin. And since Doeun can’t bear the drugs, she came home and went after Myungjin or the boss’s throat. Then she’ll get a ton of drugs. Something like that.”

“Oh, that could be possible. But why did Ajin do that?”

“Well… maybe to kill the boss and take all the drugs. It’s worth 50 million won for 5 kg. Or maybe he hated the boss, who scolded him, and tried to kill him.”

“Unbelievable…”

“But when did Ajin meet Doeun? Has she ever gone out of the house? After the car accident, wouldn’t she be terrified of going out? Even when she was at the gambling den, she would grumble if asked to run an errand.”

“…I don’t know about that.”

“Hey, isn’t it simple for her to secretly come and go in this mansion? And Ajin is over twenty; would he still be afraid of driving?”

“Yeah, that’s true…”

“Anyway, it’s strange. This whole house is too strange.”

The servants who had finished their baseless gossip returned to their positions one by one. Ajin, who was wiping the floor in a corner behind, let out a deep sigh. The absurdities were too overwhelming, and he didn’t know where to start unraveling them. He could only let out a bitter laugh.

“Haah…”

Ajin sat on the floor, gripping the mop tightly. He stared across the courtyard at the warehouse.

According to their words, Doeun was currently in the warehouse. The same warehouse where Jin-geol had been trapped once. Shot, not treated, still bleeding, yet somehow still alive. According to Mr. Kim, she neither ate nor slept. She might have genuinely become a drug addict.

And Myungjin, stabbed by her knife, underwent surgery several times. Whether the surgery was successful, whether he opened his eyes, or not, Ajin knew nothing. The organization members, busy going in and out of the house to fetch clothes or lunch, kept silent about Myungjin.

Jin-geol, who usually faced suspicion with every incident in the house, was exempt from it this time. When Doeun confronted them, he was drunkenly sleeping with the lower-ranking members in a room. Therefore, he was currently holding out in the hospital with a borrowed excuse of a minor injury.

This meant… Jin-geol was in a better situation than Ajin.

Ajin, thrust into the origin of all misfortune, couldn’t hear any news about Flower. It had been two days since the surgery date. He didn’t know if the surgery went well, if she was in pain, when she could be discharged, if she was waiting for his call, if she felt lonely, and many more questions and concerns, but he didn’t know how to make a call.

If only Seokju was paying attention and handling the phone calls… He was always holding the receiver like a fool.

Curious, Ajin had secretly tried to touch the phone in Seokju’s room earlier in the day, but he didn’t know how to make a call, let alone the hospital’s phone number. So, after holding the receiver for a while and putting it back down, he had to leave.

“This is annoying…”

Ajin scratched his head vigorously.

He had no idea what was going on. Everyone focused on Ajin as the center of the incident, but he knew nothing. Even if he set aside everything else, he at least wanted to know about Flower’s safety. But in every aspect, Ajin was thoroughly excluded.

Ajin looked at the warehouse again. He wanted to see Doeun from yesterday secretly. At first, he wondered why she did that. Why did she call my name? So, her situation became too awkward, and she resented me. But later, he became worried about her.

When they were at the gambling den, she was a genuinely kind person. She had helped him a lot, provided comfort. She was a kind person who had treated his wounds while cursing along with him when Jin-geol beat him.

So, maybe I should secretly go and see her, he thought. But when he recalled her strong grip on his ankle, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. With her handprint vividly on his ankle, fear continued to dominate him.

“But I still don’t want my sister to die…”

Ajin bit his lower lip harder. The lips that had been chewed for two days finally burst, letting bl00d flow. Ajin wiped it roughly with the back of his hand.

Then, he blew out a strong breath and rose abruptly.

Late at night. Ajin, holding a flashlight that was rolling around in the kitchen, cautiously headed to the warehouse. Without any substantial locking mechanism, he opened the door with only a chain clinking.

With a creaking sound, the door opened, and a musty smell rushed in. Ajin tucked his chin in, forming and relaxing his expression. Then, he awkwardly stepped into the depths of the warehouse. The heavy door closed with a thud, startling Ajin to the point that he jumped.

The warehouse wasn’t large, making it easy for Ajin to find Doeun.

Doeun was huddled in a corner, with her head against the wall, bl00d-stained and stiff hair giving a creepy appearance.

Seeing her ghostly figure, Ajin initially wanted to turn and run. However, he quickly changed his mind. People shouldn’t treat each other like that. Flower Lady said so. Live like a human; that way, you’ll receive blessings later.

Swallowing dry saliva, Ajin cautiously approached Doeun. He stopped a few steps away, just in case she decided to charge at him like last time.

“Sister.”

“…”

“Doeun, sister.”

Ajin softly called her. At first, Doeun ignored him, but after a few more calls, she slowly raised her head. Ajin aimed the flashlight at the ceiling, revealing his face in the diminished darkness.

“It’s me, Ajin.”

“…Ajin?”

“Yeah, Ajin.”

“…”

Doeun tightly sealed her lips. Between her tangled hair, a face showed mixed emotions, whether crying or in pain, was hard to discern. Still, Ajin felt somewhat relieved. He didn’t see the sight of Doeun screaming and contorting in agony like two days ago.

Slowly, very slowly, Ajin approached Doeun. Then, he sat down in front of her. However, with only one functional knee, he almost tumbled backward before managing to sit. The cool and damp floor behind felt distinct against his back.

Ajin patted himself, getting up as if nothing happened. Then, he sat cross-legged. Doeun chuckled at his appearance.

“You still can’t sit properly?”

“Yeah. I’ve been a cripple all this time.”

Ajin laughed along with her. Afterward, a brief silence fell. Doeun, with her chin resting on her hand or not, was gazing at Ajin. Ajin fumbled with the plastic he brought.