My Bloody Valentine - 64

“What the hell is this!”

Oh Seong-jin threw the box he had received onto the floor. A finger rolled out from the open box that had fallen to the ground.

Yang, who was sitting on the sofa, picked up the rolling finger and examined it. A low-level organization member, serving as an interpreter, relayed his murmurs in Chinese.

“It seems like it’s been cut off. The cut surface is neatly dried up…”

Seong-jin swept his confused head and stared at Yang, who appeared unnervingly calm.

Since that guy came in, things seemed to have gone awry. Seong-jin asked one of his subordinates standing at the door.

“Where’s Choi Ki-jun again?”

“We haven’t seen Director Choi since yesterday.”

“Call him.”

“His phone is turned off.”

Then, Seong-jin’s phone buzzed briefly. It was a message from an unsaved number.

“It seems you want a finger, so I’m sending one. Not sure if you’ll like it.”

Only then did Seong-jin look back at the finger Yang was holding.

“No way… that can’t be Ki-jun’s.”

But deep down, he knew.

It would be the finger of Choi Ki-jun, his closest subordinate, and only Jang Taeshin would dare pull off such a stunt. This incident was Taeshin’s way of nursing a grudge.

“Damn it! That’s why I warned not to mess with that bastard!”

Seong-jin shouted, but Yang, who couldn’t speak Korean, just calmly looked at his phone. Seong-jin felt frustrated to the point of death.

Huey, a Vietnamese, ground the imported beans from his homeland on one side and leisurely brewed coffee.

While there were interpreters for Chinese, the mercenaries brought from Vietnam, the Philippines, and elsewhere to cover up their underworld identities were idly chatting and smelling of money.

The biggest problem was Yang and the Chinese he brought with him.

At first, they seemed like reliable supporters who would have his back, but lately, they had been showing their teeth bit by bit, even to him.

Taking advantage of the recent drug scandal that had involved an underling of Seong-jin, they had started intervening more actively. They even sent people to Taeshin’s establishment without permission. There was no stopping them.

Seong-jin’s shoe tip tapped on the floor nervously.

“Ugh… that bastard really…”

He had first seen Jang Taeshin nine years ago, shortly after joining under Chairman Bae.

Even now, pressure from investigative agencies on the organization was particularly intense. Even for the same crimes, heavier penalties were imposed under certain names.

Naturally, many organizations had been disbanded, and large organizations absorbed smaller ones to expand their influence. Seong-jin, too, had to bow his head and join Chairman Bae to ride the tide of the times.

An immature boy who hadn’t shed his childishness. That was the impression Seong-jin had of Taeshin when he first saw him.

Back then, Taeshin often sat outside the establishment to guard it for entertaining guests, earning a paltry sum for errands.

Chairman Bae would often slip him outrageous amounts of money, telling him to go somewhere and eat a hearty meal.

“He’s so arrogant, just bobbing his head without a proper greeting,” Seong-jin had thought from the first time he saw Taeshin. His stature and appearance were not like a young boy’s, his slow and deliberate pace, his arrogant swagger without bowing to anyone.

“Doesn’t he seem a bit off?”

On the way back from the establishment, Chairman Bae had said with a smile.

“Who? Who are you talking about?”

“The kid praying at the entrance. That… guy named Taeshin.”

“Well, he seems indifferent to everything.”

“Oh, Director Oh, you should see him fight sometime.”

“Fight? Him?”

“I’ve been watching him since the year before last. He’s like a well-honed razor. He’s going to be big.”

“…”

Seong-jin soon understood Chairman Bae’s comment likening Jang Taeshin to a well-honed razor.

One day, after finishing entertainment duties and leaving, as he was about to enter the main road from the underground parking lot, two vans swiftly approached, occupying the street.

“Wait, looks like something’s about to go down. Let’s watch.”

At Chairman Bae’s suggestion, the robust sedan stopped where the entrance of the establishment was clearly visible.

Sure enough, as if on cue, the rear doors of both vans opened almost simultaneously, and members wielding baseball bats, clubs, and even knives spilled out onto the pavement.

These organizations, blooded in territorial disputes, fiercely competed for survival over a single establishment, often escalating fights over trivial matters. It seemed another territorial dispute was about to unfold here.

Jang Taeshin, who had been sitting on a folding chair in front of the entrance, slowly rose from his seat.

“Hmm.”

A satisfied grunt escaped Chairman Bae’s mouth as he watched. Seong-jin turned his head out the window, feeling something pricking his nerves.

Soon, his mouth slightly opened as he watched the melee unfold unexpectedly.

Like most attackers completely engrossed in the rush of adrenaline, brandishing weapons and charging like mad, Taeshin stood his ground, calmly facing them. Observing the chaos unfold like a few flies buzzing around, he began to fight back.

A soft exclamation escaped Seong-jin’s lips.

“No way… what is that…”

“Isn’t it impressive? Keep watching.”

As opponents turned their gaze and raised knives, Taeshin remained unperturbed, almost bored. He kicked one’s abdomen nearby and ruthlessly stomped on another’s stomach on the ground. It was a scene that seemed likely to crush their insides.

He then grabbed a baseball bat from the lifeless man’s hand and swung it a few times in the air, gauging the impact. Next, he aimed the sturdy bat straight at the wrist of the man holding the knife.

After breaking the wrist and causing the knife to fall, he immediately swung the bat towards the man’s vulnerable spot. The blunt and solid end of the baseball bat began to strike the man’s head.

Taeshin quickly moved on from his first opponent’s broken face, aiming for vital spots, and the attackers fell one by one.

Although he took a few hits along the way, he didn’t seem to feel pain, blinking an eye.

It was like watching a child play a deadly game without realizing the cruelty involved. He resembled the embodiment of pure evil.

The ten attackers who boldly rushed in were completely subdued by just three men sitting near the entrance of the establishment.

Some hesitated and fled, some were severely injured, and some appeared to be dead.

As the situation calmed down, the establishment’s owner belatedly emerged outside and casually patted Taeshin’s shoulder, as if nothing had happened.

Before long, another group of men came rushing in, gathering up the scattered attackers and disappearing. The entire episode had ended in less than thirty minutes.

“I should bring that guy in.”

“…”

“First, I need to establish his identity. Look into it.”

“Identity?”

“He has a name, but apparently no proper identity. It seems he has a tough and complicated background.”

❖ ❖ ❖

“Han.”

As Taeshin called out, Han opened his eyes ominously and glared at Taeshin.

“Don’t call me like you’re calling a puppy.”

Taeshin chuckled and changed his address, as if understanding.

“Han-ah.”

It was excessively sweet, like fruit dipped in sugar. Han’s voice, low and husky, sent chills down the outside of Seong-jin’s thighs.

“…D-don’t call me like that.”

Upon hearing this, mischief flickered across Taeshin’s face.

“Han, hyung?”

“That’s absolutely not allowed.”

“Well, then how should I address you?”

“Just… just don’t call me.”

“Complicated.”

Taeshin shrugged lightly towards Han, gesturing. In his hand, seated on the couch, was a bag containing disinfectant and dressing bandages from the pharmacy.

“Come here. It’s time to disinfect the wound.”

“No need.”

With his right hand injured, there wasn’t much he could do alone. Han spoke boldly, but to Taeshin, it seemed like a cute little rebellion.

“What were our contract terms again?”

“…”

Muttering softly, Han lost his words at Taeshin’s remark and quietly sat down beside him.

According to the agreement, Han had to stay by Taeshin’s side until he wanted otherwise, obeying Taeshin’s commands in any situation. In return, it was to mitigate Jun’s debt to Tassen, and further, to cover her medical expenses.

He could gladly pay whatever Taeshin asked of him. It was the least he could do for Jun, who had been hurt because of him.

Taeshin lifted one of Han’s legs onto his thigh and began to untie the bandage wrapped around his knee. His touch was so careful and slow that it felt oddly eerie.

Han withdrew his leg from Taeshin’s hand.

“Just give me that. I-I’ll do it.”

“Stay still.”

“I said I’ll do it.”

“If you stay still until I finish, I’ll let you go meet Jun. It’s almost visiting hours, isn’t it?”

“…!”

Han bit his lip and placed his injured leg back on Taeshin’s thigh, covering both legs with a cushion. Taeshin gripped Han’s ankle again as if he couldn’t tolerate it. Han’s ankle slipped into Taeshin’s large hand, leaving just about a finger’s width of space.

Taeshin slowly peeled off the gauze wrapped around Han’s knee. His actions were incredibly delicate, and the silence between them was so profound that even the sound of swallowing saliva seemed loud.

The damp cotton gently tapped and dabbed the wounded area. It didn’t sting, but it brought about a strange sensation.

Disinfecting the wound felt oddly sensual. Feeling this in a situation where Jun was wandering around in distress made him feel like trash.

Han chewed his inner cheek until he couldn’t feel anything. Soon, he tasted a metallic bitterness in his mouth.

“No.”

Taeshin tapped Han’s lips lightly with his fingertip, knocking. Then, between his parted red lips, he slid in his index and middle fingers at once.