TIN 20

“…”

I already knew he didn’t intend to harm me. In this type of atmosphere, I could tell he wouldn’t suddenly resort to violence.

And yet, for some reason, I couldn’t help but think he was about to break my ankle. It was a completely unreasonable thought, especially with his face remaining so calm and peaceful. But the lingering sensation on my Achilles tendon, and the grip of his hand, gave me an unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach.

“You’re not that small or delicate.”

That was why I gently extricated my ankle from his grasp. It was hard to stand on one leg, and holding onto Joo Do-hwa made me feel uneasy. If he said anything, I planned to use the excuse that his touch was making me feel ticklish.

“You are small, though.”

Fortunately, Joo Do-hwa stood up instead of grabbing me. Since he was a good hand’s breadth taller than me, his gaze from above seemed to say, “See, you’re small, aren’t you?”

“You’re the one who’s big.”

“That’s true as well.”

Joo Do-hwa readily accepted my response, then brought over another box. It would take all day to open everything here, but luckily, he didn’t seem to be all that determined to get it done today. He gestured to the staff member to come over.

“Unwrap everything and sort them by category. You know how he has no interest in the packaging, right?”

Joo Do-hwa added offhandedly that some people enjoy unwrapping the boxes. As he spoke, he opened the box he was holding, which contained a velvet-textured case, like one for a ring, holding an unfamiliar car key.

“I don’t know how to drive.”

“That’s why I’m giving it to you.”

Though I meant I didn’t need it, he responded without even the slightest change in expression. He even let out a small chuckle, as if amused by the very idea that I might try to drive.

“I’ll have a parking spot cleared for you, so you can play around in the car if you get bored. But don’t think about going out.”

“…”

Even if I didn’t know much about cars, I knew how expensive this brand was. Was he telling me to use this nice car like a bumper car inside the house? It seemed like a wanton waste of money, but I wasn’t foolish enough to say that out loud.

“There’s no phone. And no wallet either.”

I didn’t need to ask why. I had no one to contact on a phone and no money to put in a wallet. The only thing I had were the few bills I received when leaving Oceans.

“I didn’t get any alcohol or stuff like that yet. Let me know if you need anything. Do you have a preferred brand?”

“No, I don’t need any of that.”

I didn’t have the luxury to indulge, and I didn’t particularly like alcohol either. In the past, I would occasionally take a sip on the streets in winter just to keep the cold out of my bones, but that was out of necessity, not preference.

“What about cigarettes or drugs?”

“I don’t do either.”

“Hmm…”

Joo Do-hwa’s eyes narrowed. He fixed me with a penetrating gaze, as if observing or seeing right through me.

“You seem to be accepting everything I give you, but you don’t look very happy about it.”

“…”

That blunt remark hit the mark. Tilting his head to one side, Joo Do-hwa asked again.

“Aren’t you satisfied?”

“I’m not unsatisfied.”

“So you’re not satisfied either.”

Joo Do-hwa spoke in a playful, wordsmith-like manner, a slight crinkle in his eyes. He didn’t seem offended, just amused by the way things had turned out.

“Is there nothing you need among all these things?”

What should I say? I hesitated for a moment. I couldn’t quite gauge what kind of response he was looking for. Of course, regardless of my contemplation, the answer would still stay the same.

“No, there’s nothing.”

I wasn’t declining, just stating the facts. The slippers were enough for indoor use, and I could walk around the garden in the shoes I bought from Oceans. There were already several clothes in the wardrobe in my room, and while the sizes vary, there was nothing unwearable among them.

“As you said, I have no reason to go out, so what would I do with all this?”

I didn’t know what was in the unopened boxes, but I was confident none of it was something I would use. You need to know the value of things in order to make use of them. And I had no idea about these types of things.

“Is that so?”

Apparently convinced by what I was saying, Joo Do-hwa tilted his head questioningly, his gaze on me looking almost innocently sincere.

“I suppose that could be true.”

Soon, he shrugged his shoulders, as if it didn’t really matter. Seemed like my words got through to him. This sense of relief, however, was short-lived as he gestured to Henry, who had been standing nearby.

“Henry.”

Henry stepped forward. Joo Do-hwa spoke in a calm, matter-of-fact tone.

“Get rid of it all.”

“…”

For a moment there, I didn’t understand his words. I furrowed my brow, questioning him.

“…Get rid of it?”

“What’s the point of giving you things you don’t like?”

At first, it seemed like a threat, but judging from his expression, that didn’t seem to be the case at all. He wasn’t mocking me, just genuinely thinking that way. He didn’t even consider the many other options besides simply throwing everything in the trash.

“You could just resell them.”

“There’s no need for that. It’s not like these cost that much.”

‘Not cost that much,’ he says. It was an amount I could never earn in my entire lifetime.

“Then give them to someone else.”

“Who else?”

I had brought it up first, but when he asked the question, I couldn’t come up with an answer. It was hard to imagine Joo Do-hwa handing out gifts to anyone.

“A friend, maybe…”

No, he probably didn’t have any friends.

“…Your aide, perhaps?”

“Henry?”

A hint of amusement crossed Joo Do-hwa’s face right then. Even I realized that was a slip of the tongue, and the momentary glare coming from Henry was full of bewilderment.

“Do you want them?”

“I must decline.”

As expected of him, Henry refused firmly, without a moment’s hesitation. Even though there were many desirable items, regardless of the size, he seemed completely disinterested in them.

“Hmm, then what should I do…”

Joo Do-hwa mumbled softly, clearing his throat. Despite telling the staff to discard everything he had just brought, his expression remained entertained. After a brief silence, Joo Do-hwa spoke again in a gentle tone.

“How about this?”

“How about what?” I didn’t need to ask. He gave a slight nod in my direction, smiling.

“I’ll take you out for a sightseeing tour.”

* * *

The massive department store, seemingly constructed by joining three buildings, towered so high that it was difficult to see the top no matter how much I craned my neck. On the central facade hung an extravagant luxury brand advertisement worth millions. The uppermost floor even had a glass observation deck. The widely spaced windows allowed no visibility from the outside in contrast to the interior.

There was a slum just a block away, yet around the department store were rows of high-rise buildings. Turning left, a glitzy affluent neighborhood sprawled, while turning right revealed a crumbling shantytown. The contrast was so stark that even the beggars lying on the street seemed like a natural part of the landscape.

“Finding it interesting?”

Joo Do-hwa spoke in an amused tone, watching me glance around. Apparently, he thought I was fascinated by the scenery outside, when in reality, it looked like I had momentarily lost touch with the present world.

“Is this your first time in this neighborhood?”

“Not the first time.”

“Then?”

“I’ve seen it from afar…a few times.”

The department store and other shopping malls and cultural facilities were concentrated in the city center. The further you went from the city, the darker and gloomier the back alleys became, and Oceans was situated right at the entrance of those. I had mainly lived deep inside those back alleys, so at most, I had only stood at the entrance of Oceans and gotten a glimpse of the surrounding area.

“So you’ve only seen it?”

“That’s all I can do.”

It was an unwritten rule, so to speak. The people living across the street could never cross that road. It wasn’t that they would get beaten up, but they would at least receive scornful glares, as if they were dirtying this pleasant, clean street with their presence.

“You really are like a house cat.”

Joo Do-hwa murmured with a faint smile on his face. He clearly had never owned a cat, as the analogy didn’t quite fit.

“Not a country mouse?”

“You know that story?”

When I casually responded, Joo Do-hwa’s eyes opened wide. ‘Of course, I know it—you read it to me.’ Swallowing the words that had risen to my throat, I gave him a simple answer instead.

“I saw it when I was young.”

“I see…”

His half-open eyes gradually narrowed. He seemed to have something he wanted to say, but Joo Do-hwa simply stared at me in silence. ‘Who’s the real house cat here?’ The glimmer in his golden eyes made Joo Do-hwa appear more feline than I could ever appear.

Just as Joo Do-hwa’s gaze was becoming rather burdensome, the car conveniently stopped in front of the department store entrance. The sedan, with all its wheels painted black, was heavily tinted, making the interior completely invisible from the outside. The separation between the driver’s seat and the back seat was so perfect that one couldn’t even tell who was driving.

“Wait here for a moment.”

As the employee guarding the entrance opened the car door, Joo Do-hwa got out, leaving me behind in the car. Wondering why he told me to wait, I sat there blankly, but he soon came around to my side, opening the rear door almost as if escorting me.

“Get out.”

“…”

None of this was really necessary, right? The sudden display of courtesy was quite bewildering, especially when he held out his hand as if urging me to take it.

“You don’t need to hold my hand.”

“Well…Okay, then.”

To my surprise, Joo Do-hwa readily withdrew the hand that he had extended. However, since he was still holding the car door, I disembarked with an uneasy feeling. The moment I stepped out of the car, I felt the eyes of the employees guarding the entrance on me.

“Shall we go?”