TIN 11

Unlike the Ocean, where only cold water would come out, the young master’s home had warm water gushing out abundantly. Nowadays, the weather wasn’t that cold, but being able to rinse my body with warm water was a rare luxury. Perhaps that’s why, despite knowing water was precious, I ended up dawdling a bit.

Before entering the Ocean, I would collect rainwater in a leaky bucket to wash myself. During the rainy summer, I could manage somehow, but in the freezing winters, it was sheer agony. The water was so cold it could give me frostbite, and just maintaining it in a liquid state was a struggle.

Whether this should be considered fortunate or not, at least the water had less of a stench in winter. The food spoiled less, fewer insects spawned, and there was slightly less spread of infectious diseases. The decomposition of corpses slowed down, but then again, the rate at which new corpses appeared also increased.

Some might say it’s fortunate that winters still exist in South Korea, but that’s just the luxury of the well-fed. Those who happily crank up their heaters at the slightest chill, celebrating the sub-zero temperatures, are completely oblivious.

“Are you done washing up?”

When I came out, quite some time had passed. Fortunately, instead of scolding me, Henry just made a brief sound of satisfaction as he saw me dressed in clean clothes. He must really have some kind of obsession with cleanliness.

“I’ll disinfect you now.”

While I was washing, he had apparently brought out some ointment and disinfectant. These were items I could rarely even see, and Lingling had sold her dignity to obtain just one of them. I couldn’t help but wonder if she’d be delighted if I stole some and gave them to her.

“I’ll do it myself.”

As Henry lifted the cotton swab, I reached out to do it myself, thinking it wasn’t necessary for him to do it. But to my surprise, Henry firmly shook his head.

“No, I’ll do it.”

It seemed less like he was showing kindness, and more like he didn’t trust my abilities. Or maybe he was the type who couldn’t be satisfied unless he did everything himself – a perfectionist, inflexible in his ways.

Come to think of it, Logan was like that too. Whenever I got hurt while playing with the young master, he would insist on applying the ointment and bandages himself, rather than letting someone else do it. There was a hint of obsession in not entrusting it to others, beyond simply caring for a child.

“Bear with the stinging.”

But… I felt like Logan had always applied it gently, without causing too much pain.

“…”

I didn’t expect him to slather it on carelessly, but it seemed he simply lacked experience in this. I wonder what made the young master trust this man with his treatment.

“Then get some rest.”

After this unpleasant experience, Henry quickly packed up the supplies and left the room without a backward glance. Perhaps he had done it himself, afraid I might try to steal the medication, since it was from the 4HAE Group and could fetch a good price on the black market.

“…Enduring the treatment is more painful than the injuries.”

Sitting on the bed, I gently touched my cheek. I wonder if I’ll have to go through this again tomorrow. I’m confident in enduring the pain, but for some reason, this just felt unfair. Maybe it would be better not to apply the medication at all.

I should just do it myself tomorrow. Thinking this, I pulled out the crumpled bills from my pocket – the tips I had saved up, and the extra cash the boss had slipped into my pocket before undressing me. I had stashed them away in my new clothes before Henry could take them.

“He won’t snatch this away.”

Typically, when someone is bought, their belongings are confiscated immediately, both to prevent any possibility of escape and because the master doesn’t need them. But the young master didn’t seem to care what I possessed.

“I guess this doesn’t matter to him…”

Right, this amount would be pocket change to him.

I glanced around the dimly lit room. Compared to the accommodations at the Ocean Swers, this space with just a bed and wardrobe was incomparable. Though it was my first time in this room, the familiar furniture scattered around gave me a sense of recognition, thanks to the consistent interior.

“The villa is still there as well…”

Seeing it again triggered some hazy memories I had never particularly recalled – various nostalgic moments with the child.

‘Good, I’m bored, so let’s play together.’

The day the child first took me out of the box. The place he brought me to wasn’t this house, but a villa near the seaside. I could see the deep blue ocean through the windows, and apart from the staff, there was no other sign of life. I spent most of my time in that villa, so it felt more familiar to me than this place.

“Can you have this washed for me?”

Even back then, the moment the child brought me to the villa, they had their servant take me away, citing that I had sand and dust on me. Leaving the flustered servant behind, Logan hurried over and hesitantly started speaking to me.

“That child…”

“Yeah, I brought him back today.”

Even his bold responses were still the same. However, the returning reaction was a bit different from Henry’s.

“…Where did you find him?”

Logan must have thought of me as a little beggar on the street. The problem was that I was found at the beach, and he seemed to have understood that from the child’s words.

“He was in a box.”

He must have thought I was sold or offered as a gift to someone. With so many children losing their parents and being kidnapped, something like that wouldn’t be unusual.

“You shouldn’t just take other people’s things…”

He was quite a humane man. He taught me that it’s wrong to steal, and he discreetly observed my reactions. But in the end, the part where he referred to it as “other people’s things” was similar.

“I didn’t steal it. It was abandoned.”

The child confidently replied and proudly pulled my arm. When they said it’s not okay to take abandoned things, he tilted his head and asked, “Then should I bring him back and leave him there?”

All eyes turned to me. Though I didn’t say a word, their faces were filled with a sense of guilt for some reason. After exchanging glances for a moment, Logan kindly asked me,

“How old are you?”

I briefly considered telling him my age. I was told not to reveal anything, but I wasn’t sure how much I could say.

“Let’s see… You’re about the same height as my son.”

Logan didn’t press me further and instead crouched down to be at eye level with me. When the tall adult lowered himself, my guard finally started to come down.

“If it’s hard to say, can you show me with your hands?”

At first, I just opened and closed my mouth, then eventually held out my palm. I spread all my fingers except my right thumb, and a gentle smile appeared on Logan’s lips.

“You’re the same age as my child.”

“Nine years old? That’s three years older than me?”

The child quickly calculated the age difference after hearing that. I was much taller than them, so I’m not sure why they were surprised that I was three years older.

“You’re the older brother(Hyung), then.”

“Hyung…”

The long eyelashes that drooped down were so fascinating, even when I was young. The doll-like appearance belonged to the child, not me. I seem to have had that thought at some point.

“Okay, then I’ll call you ‘Hyung.'”

The child declared, and from then on, they followed me around, calling me “Hyung.” It was more out of fascination with the title itself rather than truly treating me like an Hyung.

“…They were cute back then.”

But now, they don’t seem small or cute at all.

“I’ll call you ‘Hyung.'”

The voice that used to call me “Hyung” echoed in my ears. Why did we have to meet at a time like this? If the situation had improved a little more, it would have been better to reunite in a better state.

It’s not that I’m not happy to see the child again. Even if I’ve buried those memories in the back of my mind, I’ve occasionally taken them out and longed for them. It would be strange if I wasn’t at least a little nostalgic.

“I didn’t expect to meet you like this…”

But there’s nothing more sudden than an unprepared reunion. I have a goal, so I shouldn’t be bogged down by cheap sentiments. Especially if the other person doesn’t remember me.

What should I do from now on? It’s impossible to earn money or gather information in this house. It would be nice if I had time to go find the money I’ve saved, but no matter how I think about it, they don’t seem likely to allow me to go out.

“…”

Suddenly, a sense of futility welled up, and I let out a hollow laugh. I used to think there were ways to get by, but that self-deprecating thought has resurfaced.

“…It’s not like I’ll be living here forever.”

It doesn’t matter why Joo Do-hwa brought me here. Whether I’m discarded after serving my purpose or I manage to escape before that, I’ll eventually have to leave this house and go somewhere else.

I wish they had just taken me to the villa instead.

At this point, there are only two things I can do here: appease Joo Do-hwa as much as possible, and leave when he grows tired of me.

“Take care, Do-hwa.”

The farewell I once whispered flashed through my mind. If I’ve done it once, the second time should be easier. I can only hope that when that time comes, it won’t be as bittersweet as before.