TIN 126

Did he give me another card knowing I wouldn’t contact him? Should I call that kindness or foolishness? Seeing his utterly unbothered face, I couldn’t even bring myself to say sorry.

“…Why are you here?”

So I subtly turned the question around. After all, someone like him had no reason to be in a place like this. What reason would someone who normally showed no interest in the sea have for riding this expensive train?

“Just, you know, for a vacation.”

The light response wasn’t very credible. Kei seemed to think so too, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.

After hesitating for a moment, he clicked his tongue and corrected his answer.

“I got demoted.”

Demoted?

“Got on someone’s bad side…decided to transfer to the sea branch.”

Kei avoided my gaze with a bitter expression on his face, as if embarrassed to even voice this out loud. Still, his voice remained calm, showing no particular resentment about the demotion.

“I’ll live there for a few years before coming back up. I’ll have to rebuild my career from the ground up, but what can you do?”

Money only had value where there were people. With the sea’s small population, branches had to be smaller to match the limited flow of people. Paradoxically, what was my lifelong dream destination could be someone else’s punishment.

“I heard you closed your business too.”

“Yeah, that’s what happened.”

I couldn’t ask if it was Joo Do-hwa’s doing. The answer was obvious enough without asking. Sure enough, Kei shrugged his shoulders as if it couldn’t be helped.

“I messed with someone I couldn’t handle.”

“…”

He didn’t seem hurt in his pride. He was just calm, as if accepting an obvious fact.

“Actually, I’m kind of regretting it. Got banned from Oceans, can’t even do my one hobby anymore, and now work turned out like this.”

I knew about the latter two, but the first was news to me. Banned from Oceans? Could Joo Do-hwa even decide such a thing?

“And I’m sorry about the sea…and to you.”

“What?”

I blurted out the question while calmly listening to him. A strange apology had come from out of his mouth. I should be the one apologizing, not him. I was the one who had been in trouble and received help.

Yet Kei furrowed his brow, unable to meet my gaze. Opening his lips, then closing them again. Finally, covering his mouth with one hand, he asked carefully.

“Did you get the money properly?”

“…?”

What is he talking about? It took quite a while to understand his words. When I showed no reaction, Kei spoke again as if he had no other choice in the matter.

“The money you entrusted to me, Joo Do-hwa took it.”

“…Ah.”

I let out a slow exclamation. A memory belatedly surfaced in my mind.

‘Money entrusted to Kei.’

‘I came to collect it because it might be troublesome for you to come get it.’

Finally, I understood the reason for his awkward apology. An apology from a banker who valued trust above all else, from a business partner who had promised safekeeping.

There was only one reason I used Kei in the back alleys. Because I could safely save money without worrying about it being taken by someone. He even charged fees to others, so having someone else collect money on behalf of another was unthinkable.

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t do anything against 4HAE.”

From Kei, Joo Do-hwa had retrieved my entrusted money in just one day. The memory of Joo Do-hwa scattering bills over my head after collecting the receipts and contracts came floating back.

“Ah…that.”

The memory was so vivid I wondered how I could have forgotten. That day I had sex with Joo Do-hwa, and from that point on, our relationship changed. That was when Joo Do-hwa, who had at least treated me like a hyung until then, started treating me like a complete whore.

“I got the money. Every last penny.”

Though I couldn’t say it was okay, I needed to tell him the truth. That everything, the clothes I wore, the train ticket, was bought with that saved money.

“That’s how I’m here.”

“…Right.”

Kei quickly accepted this with a short murmur. Though he seemed to want to ask something more, no words readily came out. Only after a moment of silence did he let out a small laugh.

“Meeting you here was a coincidence.”

Kei added jokingly that it would have been better if it were fate rather than coincidence. It seemed that boarding the same train really wasn’t intentional.

“It all worked out though, since I got a chance to apologize.”

“…What’s there to apologize for?”

“It’s an important matter when dealing with money. Let’s call it even since I helped you out today.”

Though Kei said this, it was clear without deep thought that he was at a loss. I had gotten my entire savings back from Joo Do-hwa, while Kei had lost everything and was heading to the sea.

So the one who should apologize was me, not him.

“I’m sorry.”

“…”

The smile disappeared from Kei’s face at my abrupt words. I kept my eyes lowered and calmly continued.

“This won’t happen again.”

I hadn’t wanted to accept help like this. That was why I rejected Lingling’s lending a hand to help me and left Theo’s house. Even knowing that the method I chose when cornered could become another threat.

“I’m sorry, Kei.”

It was my first time apologizing to him. I had always carefully calculated and drawn lines to prevent things like this from happening. I didn’t want to rely on feelings I couldn’t repay, didn’t want to owe help I couldn’t return.

Yes, I hadn’t wanted to feel these kinds of emotions.

“Wow…you really are sorry to me this time.”

Kei muttered this and let out a small, hollow laugh. There was something self-deprecating in his tone, somehow sounding wounded. His dark brown eyes sank heavily before he gently closed them.

“If you’re sorry, will you call my name? Say, ‘Jae-won.'”

“…”

Though not a difficult request, the words wouldn’t come easily. Not because I always called him Kei, not because the name was unfamiliar. Just because the moment I called him Kim Jae-won, it felt like even the vague remaining boundaries would disappear.

“If you won’t call my name, then I should at least call yours. Right, Bada?”

His playfully added words sounded quite meaningful. Even more so because his steady gaze, unlike his voice, showed no trace of playfulness.

“…”

Still, I couldn’t call his name. After waiting a long time for me to speak, Kei made a deflating sound. Then he picked up his fallen glasses from the floor, cleaned them with a tissue, and put them back on.

“Well…it’s fine. Honestly, it’s kind of like karma.”

The non-prescription glasses were enough to make his neat impression appear more sensitive. I’d heard he always wore them when meeting business contacts because he looked too young otherwise.

“What karma?”

“About Joo Do-hwa.”

Kei responded lightly and placed my retrieved sunglasses on the table. I thought about taking and wearing them but decided against it since my eyes were already uncomfortable and the dark vision would be bothersome.

“Why do you think that kid let me live?”

I couldn’t say it was because he had no reason to kill him, I too had secretly thought Kei might have been killed. Though Joo Do-hwa had said cleaning up would be troublesome, that reason alone left me feeling uneasy.

“He did it on purpose.”

“…”

“So I’d live a life that doesn’t feel like living.”

Kei summarized Joo Do-hwa’s actions in one sentence. When I blinked in confusion, Kei curved his lips slightly.

“To live watching that sea after losing money, honor, and hobbies in the provinces.”

Our eyes met. His slowly extending hand tucked my long hair behind my ear. The incredibly gentle touch made even his following words sound sweet.

“He didn’t expect me to meet this sea.”

“…”

Ironically, Kei looked truly triumphant saying this. Even while knowing Joo Do-hwa could kill him, even fully aware that just helping me could put him in danger.

“He needs to experience regret too.”

Rich people must all be insane. This one’s quite crazy too. His eyes filled with madness even gave me sudden chills up my spine.

“Reapply your lipstick. The kiss left obvious marks.”

As if enchanted, I took out the lipstick from my bag. When Kei asked if I wanted him to apply it for me, I shook my head to decline.

Kei gazed at my face quietly and said just one thing.

“You’re pretty.”

***

It took several more hours for the train to arrive. Though I had planned to return to regular class once business was done, Kei held me back, asking for company so I ended up staying in first class. His joking comment that leaving now would make him look like he had premature ejaculation also played a part in it.

Fortunately, the attendant didn’t return, and the train rapidly headed toward the outskirts, leaving the city. My ears felt blocked when passing through tunnels, which may have been why my chest felt unsettled too.

And then, as vast scenery spread out beyond the window…

—Our train will shortly arrive at our destination, 4HAE Station. Thank you for choosing the fast and comfortable 4HAE Express today. When disembarking…