LM 6

The pig-like man carefully locked the door and bent Siyul over the toilet. When Siyul tried to scream, he shoved something foul-smelling into his mouth. Siyul kicked, but sadly to no avail. Twisting Siyul’s arm behind his back to subdue him, the man pressed his face close to Siyul’s ear and muttered words that were utterly disgusting.

“You came knowing this would happen, didn’t you?”

The pig-like man yanked down Siyul’s pants and underwear in one swift motion. His exposed backside and the curve of his spine set off the pig’s heavy, lustful breathing like a rutting animal.

Tears welled up in Siyul’s eyes and dripped onto the toilet lid. The worst-case scenario he had feared had finally come. He had believed he could just run away if needed, but once caught, he couldn’t move an inch.

Should he give up?

Wouldn’t it be more beneficial for him and Yuwon to just let it happen once and continue the deal?

Siyul, who had been twisting his body trying to escape, went limp. “That’s right,” the pig-like man said, gripping Siyul’s buttocks with his sticky hands. As Siyul squeezed his eyes shut, at that moment, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching.

The pig-like man hesitated. Siyul, who had resigned himself, opened his eyes wide. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He managed to spit out the dirty handkerchief in his mouth. Before he could utter the first syllable of a cry for help, the pig-like man stretched his arm forward and covered Siyul’s mouth. He covered his nose too, completely cutting off Siyul’s breath.

The sound of a flushing toilet followed, then water hitting the sink. Whoever it was was washing their hands for a long time. After all water-related sounds ceased, the sound of paper towels being pulled out was heard.

Siyul struggled. His face turned red from being unable to breathe. Though the pig-like man pressed down with his weight, Siyul managed to kick the toilet with a loud thud. It crushed his toes, but at least he made a noise that could be heard outside.

The footsteps were heard again. Siyul thought they were coming this way, but they were heading towards the exit. Surely they must have heard the noise Siyul made.

The only hope was extinguished. Siyul’s eyes reddened, and thick tears fell like sudden rain. As the pig-like man carefully watched for the intruder to completely disappear, the receding footsteps suddenly came closer again. The steady, evenly-paced footsteps stopped right in front of the bathroom stall.

The person knocked on the door three times. It was as calm and steady as their footsteps.

“Sir. For the comfort of other guests, please refrain from excessive behavior.”

The request was also polite. Siyul was surprised for a different reason. He recognized the voice. The precise pronunciation that pierced others’ ears, the low and cold yet richly resonant voice. It was that man who had said he’d teach Siyul a lesson if he saw him a third time.

“Fuck off,” the pig-like man replied roughly.

A sigh could be heard from outside as if saying there was no answer. Though the outcome might be the same either way, getting beaten by that man would be a hundred, no, a thousand times better than struggling under this pig.

Siyul mustered all his remaining strength and struggled. They say people get superhuman strength in times of crisis, and this was exactly that situation. As the startled pig-like man tried to restrain Siyul, his hand covering Siyul’s mouth slipped.

“Help me!” Siyul shouted with all his might. That man was his only hope. Even if not him, Siyul screamed at the top of his lungs, hoping anyone would hear.

The pig-like man cursed and slammed Siyul’s head against the bathroom wall. A thud resonated in Siyul’s ears, and his vision briefly turned white. The searing pain followed a beat later.

“Help…” 

The footsteps outside remained still. Siyul’s vision was blurring. He knew he shouldn’t faint, but his head was spinning and he felt nauseous.

There was a loud bang as the door shook. The pig-like man shouted something, but it was drowned out by the sound of kicks against the door. After just a few kicks, the hinges rattled and the door collapsed pathetically. A large hand grabbed the fallen door and tossed it aside.

“I believe I told you not to do this here.”

The man who had removed the door looked down at the pig-like man and Siyul. Despite discovering a crime scene, his gaze was cold and indifferent, as if bored with the situation.

“Who the hell are you?”

The pig-like man,  frustrated that his plans had fallen apart, grumbled and turned around. He grabbed the man’s collar, but the height difference made it a hollow threat. Not stopping there, the pig-like man leaned in close, his eyes narrowed menacingly.

“Just go on your way, okay?”

The pig-like man released the collar and dusted off his hands. He reached back towards Siyul, who had been looking for any chance to escape. Siyul jerked his head up to look at the man. His tear-stained face was a mess.

“Please, please save me.”

The man had been staring only at Siyul for some time now, not the pig-like man. Just like before, he tilted his head slightly and observed calmly. He took in Siyul’s torn clothes, pants pulled down to his thighs, and clear tears welling up in his eyes before streaming down his cheeks.

“Why should I? We’re strangers, aren’t we?”

The man refused, curling his lip. Usually, even complete strangers would lend a helping hand in this kind of situation. It was an odd response, but Siyul immediately understood the hidden meaning. He shook his head vigorously.

“No, no! We’re not strangers! We’ve met before! We know each other!”

“But you said we were strangers before.”

“I was wrong, sir. This is our third time meeting…”

Siyul pleaded, clasping his hands together. The only person who could throw him a lifeline as he dangled over the edge was this man.

“So, he says.”

This time, the man looked at the pig-like man. Unable to understand the coded exchange between the two, the pig-like man’s expression soured like rotten straw. He cursed and shoved the man’s chest hard. The man didn’t budge an inch.

“You fucker,” the pig-like man swore and threw the first punch. Siyul forgot all about his plan to escape during the fight and watched anxiously, worried the man might get hit.

The man remained as calm as when he had broken down the door. He easily dodged the incoming fist and tripped the pig-like man’s ankle as his upper body twisted, throwing off his center of gravity. With a grunt, the pig-like man crashed onto the tile floor like a toppling statue.

The man straddled the pig-like man’s back, twisting his arm behind him. Though the pig-like man struggled, the man was like an immovable boulder. He pulled out his phone with one hand, dialed a number, and wedged it between his ear and shoulder, looking like someone well-versed in these kinds of fights.

“Hey, it’s me. Basement bathroom here. Come and clean this up.”

It didn’t take long for the enforcers the man had called to arrive. As soon as they came, they bowed to the man and asked respectfully if he was alright. The man’s face expressed utter contempt as he ordered:

“Just get rid of this quickly.”

Only then did the man’s subordinate grab the pig-like man, who was still struggling and making a racket under the man, from both sides and drag him away.

Finally, he was saved. Siyul, crumpled inside the bathroom stall, slowly walked out. Holding up his sagging pants with both hands, he cautiously raised his eyes to observe the man. When their gazes met, Siyul flinched with a small gasp and quickly lowered his eyes.

“Th-thank you… for saving me.”

He started with gratitude. The man could have ignored him and walked away, but he had saved Siyul after all. It seemed the worst had been avoided.

However…

“This place is also under my management. What did I say I’d do if I caught you again?”

Siyul’s shoulders stiffened at the man’s chilling voice. Like a student cowed before a notoriously strict teacher, Siyul mumbled timidly.

“…You said you’d punish me.”

“Your memory serves you well.”

“But! This time I really wasn’t here for any deals or anything like that! An acquaintance asked me out for drinks, I had no bad intentions whatsoever. Really!”

While he had been working at the club, here he was clearly the victim and hadn’t done anything wrong. Suddenly feeling indignant, Siyul lifted his head and argued fervently. Besides, how could he have known the man managed this place too? It was impossible to have guessed.

“I just came with a friend… My friend!”

Siyul’s eyes widened. In his own dire situation, he had forgotten about Yuwon. His eyes clouded over before suddenly lighting up like lightning. He turned to dash out of the bathroom, but the man firmly grabbed the back of his neck.

“Let go! Yuwon is still in that room! I need to help him.”

The man clicked his tongue and nudged the back of Siyul’s knee with his own. Siyul stumbled weakly and plopped down on the floor. Even as he glared resentfully, the other remained indifferent, hands in his pockets. As Siyul tried to stand again, the man pushed him back down by the shoulder and finally spoke.

“Which room?”

“…The last room at the far end of the second floor.”

Realizing he couldn’t escape the man, Siyul answered dejectedly. The man took out his phone once more and made a call. His furrowed brow clearly showed his annoyance. Nevertheless, when the other party answered, he gave instructions calmly.

“Clear out all the guests from the last room at the far end of the second floor. Make up an excuse about the next reservation. If there’s someone called Yuwon among them, keep him separate and send him out through the back door.”

Siyul wanted to confirm Yuwon’s safety with his own eyes, but he saw no chance to escape. He had no choice but to trust the man.

“So. How should I punish you?”

Having finished the call, the man removed his hand from Siyul’s shoulder and rolled up his sleeve. His thick forearms led to blunt, powerful-looking hands. A single slap from such a hand would result in at least four weeks of treatment and probably require dental implants.

He had been hit once before, but that was just a light gesture meant as a warning. If the man were to swing his hand in earnest, Siyul would be tossed around the bathroom like a flimsy piece of paper.