TIN 49

After finishing my shower, I went downstairs without even drying my hair. I was worried that if I was too late, he might come looking for me in my room. Fortunately, aside from a slightly swollen throat, I felt fine and thought I could manage breakfast somehow.

But when I got downstairs, Joo Do-hwa wasn’t in the dining room. At first, I thought I had come down first, but seeing only one place set at the table, it was clear that there was just one serving prepared. On the spacious table that could seat several people, only my spoon and fork sat lonely.

“…Did he go out?”

There was an employee in one corner of the dining room, but instead of asking anything, I simply sat down at the table. Not seeing each other’s faces was more comfortable for both of us anyway. If I had known this would happen, I would have dried my hair before coming down. That was all I thought as I touched my wet hair.

Unlike usual, the meal set on the table was full of soft foods. I could eat it with just a spoon, without a fork, and naturally, I could swallow without difficulty despite my sore throat. For someone like me who would have forced myself to eat even if served something hard, this was truly fortunate.

Joo Do-hwa returned much later, in the late afternoon. By then, I had eaten lunch once more (again, similar soft foods) and had been working on a puzzle in my room before doodling in a coloring book. As I lay on the bed coloring the shell of a turtle, suddenly the door burst open without a knock.

“Ah, here you are.”

Of course, it was none other than Joo Do-hwa. Dressed in a suit as if he’d been out on business, he came in loosening his tie. He was holding some kind of document envelope, and he looked somewhat upset.

“What were you doing?”

Despite his appearance, his voice was as gentle as always when he asked this. I hurriedly sat up and held out the open book.

“This.”

The page with coral reefs, fish, turtles, and jellyfish was about half finished. I had been diligently moving my hand while lost in various thoughts.

“You colored it well. Especially the turtle.”

He commented lightly and tapped the turtle with his index finger. A faint smile briefly crossed his previously expressionless face.

“Do you enjoy coloring?”

“No, it’s not fun.”

I didn’t do it because it was fun, but because I had nothing else to do. Even when I was young, it wasn’t me who liked this, but Joo Do-hwa.

“Oh my, it’s not fun?”

Joo Do-hwa responded as if quite disappointed and nodded his head. “You must have been bored being alone.” His voice even carried a detestable hint of apology.

“Did you eat everything? I told them to prepare soft foods since your throat might hurt.”

So that was why. I had thought it strange when porridge was served out of nowhere. It seemed Joo Do-hwa had given instructions, but I hadn’t thought much of it since it didn’t really matter either way.

More than that…Why does he look so upset?

“How’s your throat?”

His attitude seemed similar to usual, but the aura he gave off was different. So much so that I flinched unconsciously when he reached out toward me. At that, Joo Do-hwa paused and twisted his lips as he withdrew his hand.

“Tell me if it hurts. I’ll call a doctor.”

“…It’s not that bad.”

Giving the illness and then offering the cure, how typical. I answered awkwardly and glanced down at the document envelope he was holding. Even though I didn’t know what it was, I felt uneasy for some reason.

Should I ask what that is? But before I could, Joo Do-hwa spoke first.

“Aren’t you going to ask where I went?”

“Didn’t you…go to the company?”

An ominous feeling crept up my spine. Even as I answered, I instinctively felt it wasn’t the case. Besides, the smile he showed was too cryptic.

“No, I didn’t.”

With that short answer, he held out the document envelope toward me. I could see a small letter  ‘K’ written on the edge of the thick envelope.

“A gift.”

“…”

Surely not, right?

Very slowly, I took the envelope he held out. It probably just contained some papers, but it felt like I was being handed a time bomb. Regardless of my reaction, Joo Do-hwa lightly urged me on.

“Open it.”

His attitude was similar to when he gave me the perfume before. Maybe this time it was another unnecessary luxury item? I tried to deny it, but the uneasy feeling wouldn’t go away. That remained the case even as I opened the envelope with trembling hands.

“Why this…”

The contents filling the envelope were bundles of various banknotes. There was no consistency whatsoever, and some of the bills were half-folded or had torn corners. Joo Do-hwa summed up this strangely familiar sight in just one sentence.

“The money you left with Kei.”

“…”

I froze, my neck stiffening. A chillingly sweet voice added, as I was unable to even lift my head, “I brought it back for you, in case it would be troublesome for you to go get it.”

Is this when I should say thank you? Should I joke that it was indeed troublesome?

“You can check the details on the receipt there…”

I barely moved my lips, but no words came out. It felt like someone was squeezing my heart, making it harder and harder to breathe.

“This is the contract.”

Unlike me, Joo Do-hwa continued his explanation in a calm tone. He slowly reached out and pulled out a stack of papers that were also in the envelope. Receipts with dates, times, and amounts recorded. There was even a contract with my and Kei’s signatures on it.

“You’ve saved up quite a bit.”

Of course, I had. Money stolen while wandering the alleys, money earned from all sorts of odd jobs, compensation received from Kei, and tips from Oceans—I had saved every penny without spending any.

“Honestly, I was a bit surprised. The money from selling your body can’t be that much.”

Speaking mockingly, Joo Do-hwa took the envelope and turned it upside down over my head. Bills poured out, scattering messily on the bed and floor. In this surreal scene, one crumpled bill caught my eye.

“You must have worked hard. In that environment.”

It was money I had received from a customer who once came to Oceans. It was the largest denomination of currency currently in circulation, and I remember hiding it carefully, afraid someone might see it. To them, it might be pocket change, but to me, it was worth losing sleep over.

“I won’t ask how many people you lent to.”

The voice that pierced my ears was full of open displeasure. As I slowly raised my head, I saw golden eyes filled with contempt.

“You wouldn’t want to answer anyway…Right?”

He probably thinks I saved money through deeply shameful acts. Since similar acts did occur and half of it was stolen money, there was no need to correct his thinking.

However, one thing was important—’how’ he had gotten his hands on this money.

“…What did you do to him?”

Kei, while appearing to be a con artist at first glance, prioritized trust with his clients above all else. The security of deposited money was always thorough, and he would never sell client information even for millions. Not only because he had enough money to resist such temptations, but fundamentally because he had affection for this line of work.

Yet Joo Do-hwa had retrieved all the money I had deposited in just one day. Seeing that he brought not only the money but also the contract, it was safe to assume he had completely terminated the business relationship with Kei. There was a possibility he had bought it with a sum that even Kei couldn’t resist, but it was unlikely he had acted so gentlemanly.

“Is that what you want to ask?”

He didn’t erase the sneer on his lips even after hearing the question. If anything, he seemed even more displeased, but his following answer was relatively straightforward.

“What could I have done in just one night?”

So he didn’t do anything. That relief was very brief. He tossed the envelope he was holding and said, “The ‘doing’ is yet to come.”

“…”

I bit down on my lower lip hard. Not because I was angry at his words, but because I felt an unbearably strong chill run through me. The sensation of goosebumps rising was nothing short of a danger signal sent by instinct.

“I’m joking.”

He said lightly, but the chill that had rushed in showed no signs of subsiding. In my life, I’ve rarely felt fear, but Joo Do-hwa accounted for most of those instances. It was even more so because, with a face so innocent that anyone would consider him blameless, it was impossible to predict what he might do.

“Even I wouldn’t dare to touch the heir of Jaekyung Finance. The aftermath would be too troublesome.”

In other words, did that mean he could touch anyone when it wasn’t troublesome? Surely he wouldn’t go to such lengths with Kei, but given his current reaction, it was hard to be certain.

“…”

I quietly bowed my head, barely managing to control my anxious heart. I felt sorry for Kei, but the anxiety I was feeling now wasn’t just out of concern for his well-being. It was because I was afraid of Joo Do-hwa, who had finished everything in just one night.

Still, he said he hadn’t done anything for now…

“Hyung.”

It was then that a low voice called out to me. I quickly looked up to see eyes staring straight at me. Those eyes, so bright they seemed transparent, were still much colder than usual.

“What should I do now that I see such obvious relief written all over your face?”

The corners of his mouth curled up, but it didn’t look like a smile because his eyes weren’t smiling at all. His voice, as chilling as his sunken gaze, enunciated each word, “It makes me want to do troublesome things.”