My Bloody Valentine - 22

The mart had underground floors 1 and 2, with parking spaces on the ground floors 2 to 4.

As usual, the village chief’s car was parked not far from the entrance on the ground floor 2.

Even though Han had to circle the parking lot several times, the village chief always parked in a similar spot. It was to avoid confusion for the grandmothers, who were not only carrying a lot but also had poor memory.

Exiting the entrance and walking towards the parked car, Han felt a man in hiking attire, who had caught his eye multiple times before, closing in on him, following closely behind.

No way, it can’t be.

At first, he thought it was just his own hypersensitivity, but the uneasy feeling persisted. It felt discomforting, instinctively warning of danger.

It must be a misunderstanding. Han tried to reassure himself.

Having never made a phone call to anyone and never done anything that would reveal his identity, not even the locals knew his name, calling him “Yujung’s grandmother’s nephew.”

However, the uneasy feeling wouldn’t subside. Somehow, something didn’t feel right, and Han quickened his pace. Then, the footsteps of the man following him also quickened.

Han’s heart began to beat a little faster.

Trying to make sure the man following him didn’t notice, Han passed by the village chief’s car and circled the parking lot one more time. Even then, seeing the man continue to follow confirmed his suspicions.

That man was chasing him. Han thought about what he could lose.

Angol Village, known for its abundant shellfish farming, emitted a distinctive fishy smell from the neighborhood. There were no common sandy beaches or emerald-clear seas, but it was a tranquil and beautiful place.

The neighborhood, where people with modest ambitions lived, was peaceful. There were elderly villagers who treated him like their own grandson, and there was a grandmother who, as if he were her real grandson, picked out fish meat and removed thorns on a fork, placing it on top of rice.

What I’ve always dreamed of is here. So, everything had to be an unreasonable misconception caused by my hypersensitivity.

Please…

Han prayed earnestly in his heart, increasing the speed of his two rolling feet.

Since he had been to this mart two or three times before, he knew the layout well enough. Passing the corner about 10 meters ahead, he could enter the electronics store section through the entrance.

The climax was right in front of him. If he just turned the corner in front of him, he would be safe. Han’s hand, clutching the shoulder strap of the eco-bag, became damp with sweat.

It doesn’t seem to work. Let’s run from here. If I suddenly run, he probably won’t be able to catch up.

One, two, three.

Counting silently to three, he began to run with all his might. At that moment, just as he started to run, another man hiding behind the corner revealed himself. It was a strategy as if driving fish towards a net, one approaching with meat, and the other catching fish with a net.

In an instant, the man in front of Han blocked his path, and in the hands of the man who lightly supported the slumped body, a white cloth was seen. The man, despite his bulky build, brought the white cloth held in his hand to Han’s nose and mouth with agile movements.

As the volatile smell of chloroform began to be felt, a strong, pungent odor emanated. In that moment, his entire body lost strength rapidly, and he couldn’t even move a single finger.

The two men who effortlessly lifted the slumping body started leading Han somewhere.

The faint view spinning around in front of his eyes quickly blurred. The last thing he saw was the black shoes the men were wearing. Who would wear shoes under hiking clothes?

This can’t be… I have to go home…

Grandma must be waiting, having cooked dinner…

❖ ❖ ❖

“Why isn’t he waking up?”

“Yeah, hey, didn’t you use too much medicine?”

“I only used half because it was weak.”

Han heard unfamiliar voices murmuring anxiously. He woke up, but couldn’t bring himself to open his eyes.

The smell of cement and dust was strongly felt at the tip of his nose. Just by the smell, he could tell. He had returned to the place where he was first abducted.

This was undoubtedly a nightmare. A very vicious nightmare.

“Wake up if you’re awake.”

This time, it was a familiar voice. The chilling voice of Jang Taeshin. The moment that voice flowed down from above, the fear Han felt was indescribable.

“Open your eyes.”

How could he open his eyes when there was clearly a monster in front of him?

Thud, thud.

After just two steps, the back of his head was seized.

“Huuk…”

A sound as if breath was escaping from the throat came from inside. The pain, as if all the hair on his head was being pulled out, was nothing compared to the shock Han felt when he came face to face with Jang Taeshin’s face.

The pain, which seemed like all his hair was about to be pulled out, was nothing compared to the shock Han felt when he came face to face with Jang Taeshin’s face.

The horrifying, predatory eyes were so terrifying that Han involuntarily lowered his gaze. When he did, he noticed bloodstains on Jang Taeshin’s shirt. Compared to the shock of the pain that felt like all his hair was being pulled out, it was nothing.

“Why, you’ve grown quite pretty. Wearing those lovely floral pants while doing your job.”

“…!”

He had only worked in Grandma’s clothes for a few days at the beginning. Afterward, he went out with Grandma to buy new clothes and wore them.

So, he had been watching since then.

“Congratulations. It cost quite a bit of money to find you. Your debt has exceeded two billion.”

“…!”

“It’s strange… I can’t understand. Some things you have to experience to understand, they say.”

With a puzzled expression, Taeshin tilted his head and approached Han as if their noses were about to touch.

His breath caught. The plea for mercy was about to burst out of his mouth without him realizing it.

“Huee…”

Tears burst out. Despite being scared, he felt a sense of loss for what he had lost. The small happiness and peace. Grandma and the small fishing village, the elderly villagers who had become familiar, even the local dogs that no longer barked at him.

“Ha.”

Reading that from Han’s face, Taeshin burst into a sardonic laugh amid these circumstances.

“You didn’t resist because you were scared, huh?”

After hearing the sound of teeth grinding, Han realized that he was angry.

“How can you just throw me away like this?”

Taeshin, gripping Han’s hair, tightened his grip.

“How could you fucking abandon me like this?”

It was as if he was speaking as someone betrayed by a lover. Han, trembling lips, managed to squeeze out his voice.

“I had debts… The person who owed money… I was planning to find them and… pay it off.”

“Look at this. You still see me as a fucking fool.”

“No, no.”

“No… I wonder how I should deal with you now.”

At that moment, a subdued voice was heard from the side.

“Ugh! Ugh, ugh!”

It was only now that Han realized there was a man to his left, tied to a chair, wearing a black suit. Everything had returned to the first day.

A middle-aged man in a dignified black suit opened his eyes and pleaded for something. Wrinkles formed on Taeshin’s smooth forehead.

“Mister, please be quiet for a moment. We have something to deal with him first.”

Taeshin’s gaze returned to Han.

“Speak. Tell me what I should do. Should I pull everything out and sell it?”

It was undoubtedly referring to his organs. In instinctive fear, Han’s shoulders hunched.

“Ugh! Ugh, ugh!”

Then, the man sitting next to him made a sound again. He probably wanted to say, “Please save me,” just like that person… Han thought absentmindedly.

“Haa…”

As if annoyed, Taeshin scratched his eyebrows with his index finger. Then, without a word, he stood up, took a few steps back, and took the sword that one of his subordinates was holding. Without hesitation, he started hitting the man’s head with it.

The sound of a blunt metal hitting the skull was heard. Every time the sound, as if something was bursting, echoed, the man’s form crumpled. The man made groaning sounds as he gasped for breath.

After Taeshin smashed the man’s eyebrow bone and one eye, he adjusted what he held in his hand and struck the man’s nose. The sound of bones breaking resounded vividly.

Blood splattered everywhere. After the man, now unrecognizable due to the damage, became quiet, Taeshin dropped what he held in his hand onto the floor.

Clang… The sound of the metal hitting the floor echoed loudly in the silent space, despite there being five of his subordinates present.

“Haa… It’s so annoying, but my head hurts so much I could die.”

Taeshin turned back to Han, who was still shaking his head. Lifting his chin, Han saw that he had already fainted.

Taeshin, seeming frustrated, sighed shortly and gestured to one of his subordinates. Soon, a 500ml bottle of water was placed in his hand. The water was so cold that droplets of moisture formed on the plastic surface.

Following that, water poured out onto Han’s head. The stream of water flowed down his face, neck, soaking his T-shirt thoroughly.

“Huuk… Cough… Keh…”

Han coughed as if he had been lifted out of the water. When he coughed, even the cough that burst out like he was about to die was swallowed down, fearing that he might touch Taeshin’s nerves.

“Ueup… Uegeuk…”

“Stop fainting so fucking easily every time.”

He hoped that what he had seen before losing consciousness was just a dream, but he didn’t have the courage to turn his head and check. The thick smell of blood reminded him that what he saw was real.

Han shivered like a pine tree in the wind. He couldn’t tell if it was because of the extreme cold, like an overturned ice bath, or because of the extreme fear that seized his whole body.

“What should I do with you, with Yujung who let you go, and with the old man who hid you?”

“…!”

Han’s trembling temporarily stopped. The man had found a very effective bargaining chip.

This man was a monster. A monster without emotions.

“Hmm? Answer me. What should I do with you?”

Taeshin’s gaze shifted from Han’s face to the faintly visible nipple under the wet T-shirt.

“For now, it would be best to make sure you can’t walk for a while.”

It had been some time ago. The image of him stabbing a knife into his knees in a dream flashed through his mind. However, reality was always more terrifying and cruel than any nightmare.

At least, that was Han’s experience of reality.