Small and Fragile Things - Chapter 8

Who could really keep their cool standing face-to-face with him in a life-or-death standoff? No wonder Yook Jung-pal always said, “Good thing he’s on our side.” It made perfect sense now.

And yet, that same man had said something in the car earlier that sounded so fragile it was hard to believe.

Time went by too fast. I never planned on doing this for so long…

Yoon-ah, when you quit this line of work, live easily for once. Go on trips when the seasons change, pick up some hobby like normal people do. Go back to studying if you want.

Jung Yoon had known for a while that Muk-hyun was thinking about the end. You could tell by the way he’d say certain things, the real estate he kept buying up, the way he spread his assets across so many places. It all pointed in the same direction.

What about you, Director? How will you live?

Me? …Well, just…

Jung Yoon fully agreed that it was time for Muk-hyun to stop grinding himself to the bone. But it worried him — what if the ending Muk-hyun had in mind wasn’t the same one he hoped for? And what if, despite all the years they’d spent together, loyalty alone wasn’t enough to stop him from walking off that cliff?

“Yoon-ah, let’s grab something to eat.”

“What would you like?”

“Hmm. What would she like? As for me, just a pack of cigarettes is enough.”

“…I’ll go get you something decent to fill you up.”

Muk-hyun gave him a faint smile and patted his shoulder before slowly heading up the stairs.

Rustle, rustle.

A wind blew from afar, sweeping up dead leaves and bits of trash that littered the ground. It slipped up the building’s outer wall, brushing over his broad shoulders as if welcoming him into the bleak scenery he blended into so naturally.

***

“Were you sleeping?”

She was sitting on the bed, rubbing her swollen eyes. She didn’t even look up when the door suddenly opened — a sign that Yang Gi-seon must’ve been guarding well so far. Only when she heard a voice she hadn’t expected did she straighten her back.

Her tangled hair was puffed up like a messy bird’s nest on top of her head — it looked almost funny.

“Doing okay?” Muk-hyun asked, stepping inside as she blinked her big eyes at him.

The floor was a patchwork of mismatched linoleum sheets that looked like someone had laid them down on purpose. The walls were marked here and there with stains of unknown origin. Through the cracked-open bathroom door, he could see a dirty maroon sink.

The place was tiny — you could take it all in with one glance — but it still had a kitchenette, enough space for a small table. The balcony was covered with old tiles and cluttered with a single blue plastic chair, empty soju bottles, and a planter filled with nothing but dirt. On the windowsill, a grimy ashtray overflowed with cigarette butts.

The place was messy and dated, yet she sat there all alone, hugging what looked like the only new thing in the room — a pink blanket — blinking at him with wary eyes.

“They say you’ve done nothing but sleep.”

When Muk-hyun sat on the edge of the bed, it gave a rusty squeak. The mattress dipped where he sat, and she pulled her knees up to her chest.

“You shouldn’t be relaxing here. Do you even know where you are?”

This place was far worse than where she’d been before. Every corner was cracked or torn, dirty enough that you wouldn’t want to touch anything. And yet, she looked like she felt more at ease here, as if this rundown place gave her some peace.

Muk-hyun had half-expected her to complain that she wouldn’t have come if she’d known he’d dump her in a dump like this. But instead? If he exaggerated just a bit, she looked like she was home.

“Let me see your face properly.”

Muk-hyun studied her face up close. She was so thin that her big eyes looked even bigger — almost too much. But with a little more weight and some color in her cheeks, she’d be pretty enough. He found the soft slope of her nose a bit fascinating and stared a beat too long. She rubbed the tip of her nose hard with the back of her hand, flustered. He couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Say something. That stupid collar’s gone now.”

When he brought her here, he’d told them to cut off that so-called shock collar or whatever it was — like taking a bark collar off a stray dog. Now there was nothing left on her neck except a square-shaped burn mark, like an old scar.

“…Say what?”

“Anything. Just talk. Let me hear your voice.”

She pouted her lips, glancing around like she was searching for words she didn’t have. Muk-hyun figured she’d just gotten out of the habit of talking, so he waited her out.

“…I like it here.”

Her voice, when she finally spoke, was nice enough to make waiting worth it — even if he knew it was probably a lie.

“Mm. What else?”

“This blanket… Yang Gi-cheol gave it to me. Ahem. And, uh, clothes too…”

“Her name’s actually Gi-seon. She’s a woman. She just likes pretending she’s a guy, so we let her.”

“A woman…?”

Muk-hyun pointed at her shirt — huge, with a skull and roses on the front. He recognized it instantly. It was that shirt Gi-seon used to brag about when it was in fashion.

“Yeah, she’s the one who gave you that shirt. If she gave you clothes, that means she doesn’t hate you.”

The girl glanced down at the oversized T-shirt, then scrunched her forehead just a little.

“Her old clothes…?”

Her nose, sharp and small like it had been pinched by invisible fingers, flared quietly.

“Gi-seon likes pretty things. Doesn’t matter if it’s a guy or a girl.”

Her innocent face, tilting to the side like that, was honestly kind of cute. With that blank look, you’d almost believe she was just a kid.

“Don’t get cocky just because someone’s being nice to you. Gi-seon might look skinny but she’s got a temper. Best you stay on her good side.”

“Good… side?”

“Yeah. Mine too, while you’re at it.”

He trailed off, feeling oddly stifled inside. Out of habit, he fished out a cigarette and looked away from her. He didn’t want to see what kind of face she’d make now. The truth was, he hadn’t really saved her. He’d just dumped her in a place worse than a cheap motel. He had to light up before that thought managed to push its way up.

Muk-hyun stood up, flicked his lighter, cracked open the balcony window and leaned against it.

…

The sunset was burning a deeper red, streaking across her pale face. He had to take back what he’d thought before — that she’d be pretty with a little color. Sitting there blinking those wide eyes at him, she didn’t look pretty. She looked… fragile. Maybe “full of stories” was the better way to put it. Just staring at her made her pupils tremble a bit, like something in her was flinching. He couldn’t tell if the tips of her ears were really flushed or if the sunset was just catching them.

“You really don’t have a name?”

“…”

“Kim Deok-gyu didn’t give you one?”

She tilted her head slowly — like she didn’t even know who that was. Muk-hyun just watched her, smoking his cigarette down in a few long drags.

“Then who are you?”

She didn’t answer, just flicked her eyes around, and when the silence stretched too long, she spat out a clumsy excuse.

“I… uh… don’t… remember.”

“Hmm?”

“Mm. Don’t… remember.”

Was she innocent or just sly? If she was really telling the truth, she was innocent. But if she was just flat-out denying everything first, then she was clever. In a situation like this, not knowing what you’d gotten tangled up in — being too honest would be stupid. Acting clueless, testing your captor, figuring out the vibe — that’s what you’d do. And then, you’d look for a way to run.

Muk-hyun didn’t really think she was Kim Deok-gyu’s secret child either. From what he knew, Kim Deok-gyu wasn’t the type to have an affair. He was the type to do something similar — something that clashed with the clean image he sold to the world.

If he’s using her as leverage for the ledger, it’s probably tied to something shady and illegal, Muk-hyun thought. A scandal about him or someone close. Something he needs to keep buried if he wants to keep climbing.

It matched what Jung Yoon had said earlier too.

Kim Deok-gyu’s whole spotless act as a so-called “chaebol hunter” only worked because his in-laws, who owned a big global pharma company, had his back. No way would he risk screwing that up with some cheap fling. If anything, this girl was more likely connected to corruption or a cover-up than some affair.

“It’s true…”

Her eyes flicked nervously down to the blanket in her lap.

Liar, Muk-hyun thought. That look in her downcast eyes — there was definitely something she wasn’t telling him.