TIN 16

Gasp! A strangled sound escaped the son as he choked and gasped for air. Before he could even let out a scream, he froze up, becoming as rigid as a board. The droplets of blood that burst from his father splattering across his pale skin like paint.

“You should have known your limits.”

It was a shockingly gruesome sight. A crimson liquid sprayed wildly from behind the middle-aged man standing there. Beneath the limp body lay a pool of blood soaking into the pristine white marble.

The talkative middle-aged man could no longer even open his mouth.

“Well done.”

Amid it all, Joo Do-hwa calmly returned the gun to Henry. Henry holstered the gun back at his waist. The only ones left unmoving were myself sitting at the table and the son standing there in shock.

“So… did you just…”

I couldn’t bring myself to ask if he had killed him. I just stared at Joo Do-hwa with a blank expression. Perceiving my gaze, Joo Do-hwa asked with an air of pity.

“Are you afraid of the blood?”

No, it’s not the blood, it’s you that scares me.

This wasn’t the first time I’d seen someone kill another person. Amid the ever-worsening madness, I’d even slept with corpses as blankets. But this was the first time I’d witnessed a killing so calm, so devoid of mercy.

“You didn’t wet yourself, did you?”

Joo Do-hwa asked casually, glancing at my lower half hidden by the table. When I let out a quiet sigh, he gave a slight shrug of his shoulders.

“Looks like he did.”

He gestured towards the son, still trembling. A dark stain had appeared on the front of his pants, though he seemed unaware of it, likely too overwhelmed to feel any sense of shame.

“Henry, take him outside.”

“Yes, sir.”

Henry gave a slight bow and approached the son without a word. The moment Henry took a step, the son flinched in terror, his teeth chattering violently enough to be almost pitiful.

“Come this way.”

“Y-yes, I’m s-s-sorry… s-sorry…”

The trembling figure was firmly supported by Henry. The problem was that the moment Henry’s hand touched him, the son startled and pushed him away.

“I’m s-s-sorry… I’m s-so sorry…”

The son muttered apologies, nearly dropping to his knees. When he began hiccupping, he even covered his mouth with both hands, startled by his own sounds.

“Hic, sob, mmph…”

Fortunately, Joo Do-hwa did not scold him. He simply said that he would have Henry take the son home and ‘deal with the father.’

After the son left with Henry, still in tears, Joo Do-hwa turned to me with an apologetic tone.

“I’m sorry for disrupting your meal. Would you like to continue eating?”

“…”

It’s revolting, really. Someone had just died right in front of us, a corpse lay mere steps away, and the room was awash with blood. How could anyone possibly have an appetite in such a setting?

“Or, if you’d prefer, you can finish what you were about to say earlier.”

“No.”

But the moment Joo Do-hwa began to speak again, I instinctively shook my head. The unsettling chill I’d felt earlier brushed against the back of my neck once more. His image, gun in hand, was still vivid in my mind. This wasn’t a time to provoke him with sensitivity.

“It was nothing, really.”

So I gripped the fork, trying to appear unfazed and calm. Maintaining a neutral expression wasn’t difficult, and I was confident I could keep my hands steady. Showing fear would only make me look weak, so it was important to remain composed at a time like this.

“Alright then.”

Joo Do-hwa finally seemed satisfied, his eyes crinkling into a cheerful smile. I realized for the first time how terrifying such a pretty smile could be. Even the way he rested his chin and stared at me intently was unsettling.

“Eat up.”

The dining room interior was silent for a while. I forced myself to continue eating, occasionally taking sips of water to ignore the faint smell of blood that stung my nostrils. I had to be careful not to retch.

“Does Ocean’s starve you? You’re eating quite well.”

Joo Do-hwa seemed amused by my behavior. Perhaps he had hoped I would tremble like that other man. Glancing up cautiously, I heard him speak in an offhanded manner.

“You know, it’s quite famous among these people that I’m looking for my older brother.”

I blinked, realizing he wasn’t talking about me. The “Older brother” he mentioned couldn’t possibly be the me sitting here now. I was who he sought, sure, but not the version of me he thought I was.

“That’s why there are all these annoying flies buzzing around.”

His gaze turned cold as it shifted toward the corpse. The warm, golden hue of his eyes had turned cold and piercing, which was quite a strange sight.

“What makes him so confident to even bring his son? Does he think I won’t do anything?”

Was this a common occurrence? If so, had Joo Do-hwa always dealt with it this way?

“…What if they really are the person you’re looking for?”

The thoughtless question was enough to make Joo Do-hwa chuckle mockingly.

“You think I’m that stupid?”

I didn’t have a chance to respond before he quickly dispelled the cold air and adopted a kind expression.

“I’ll figure out if you’re the real one or not.”

“How?”

“Hmm, just a feeling?”

His vague response was unsatisfying. If I misjudged his feelings twice, I might end up like the corpse lying there. He seemed to have lost interest in the topic.

“There’s something I’m curious about.”

I gently set down my fork, having reached my limit and no longer feeling hungry.

“That drvg he gave you, are you going to give it to me?”

Even if he had no intention of sleeping with me, he might still try to drvg me as an experiment. Some of the patrons at Ocean had that kind of hobby.

If that was the case, then I would have to make a choice as well.

“Hmm, what should I do?”

Joo Do-hwa didn’t immediately answer, pausing briefly. He spoke in a subtle tone, as if observing my reaction.

“It would be fun to try feeding it to you. They say it’s strong enough to make even a Beta melt, so I bet you’d feel good. Who knows, maybe you wouldn’t even need any extra loosening back there.”

As if Betas would get excited just from that. He was talking big without even knowing my traits. When I remained silent with my lips firmly shut, Joo Do-hwa gave a reassuring wink.

“But you know, I don’t really trust the stuff made by someone whose eyesight has deteriorated from too much drvg use.”

So that’s why he was wearing glasses. He must have experienced severe side effects during the time he didn’t visit Ocean.

“I can’t let those pretty eyes of yours get ruined.”

Joo Do-hwa raised his chopsticks, pointing them directly at me. It was a threatening gesture, but the sweetness in his words about my eyes was strangely alluring.

“Would you like to try it?”

“No.”

“…”

“I don’t want to.”

Since he said he wouldn’t give it to me, there was no need to sugarcoat my words. Even if the situation demanded tact, this wasn’t something I’d fake politeness about.

Ju Dohwa seemed genuinely surprised by my response and murmured, “Not bad.”

“Huh?”

Not bad at what? There was no need to ask—he explained himself right away.

“I thought you’d be so scared you’d start speaking formally.”

I wasn’t bothered by the fact that he had caught me being scared. I was just a little worried that my behavior might have seemed suspicious.

Fortunately, Joo Do-hwa didn’t make any further comments, simply holding up three fingers.

“Three times.”

“…”

“That’s how many times you used honorifics with me today.”

Chills ran down my spine. I didn’t expect him to meticulously keep track of my every slip-up.

“I was going to show you what happens if you do it one more time, but that’s not necessary now.”

His cheerful smile was not entirely pleasant. Even with that sweet expression, the thorns hidden within were apparent.

“I’m a bit of a moody person, you see… I’ll let this slide just for today.”

What would have happened if I had used an honorific one more time? Surely he wouldn’t have k1lled me on the spot, but the thought of some kind of terrifying experience was clear.

Despite my general resilience, the mere idea of it was deeply unsettling.

“You understand what I mean, right?”

There was no need to nod. Before I could, Joo Do-hwa added one more statement.

“Answer me.”

“…Okay.”

It wasn’t a question, but a test. Although Joo Do-hwa now had no gun in his hand, and Henry was nowhere to be seen to hand him one, my answer was already set.

“I got it… Do-hwa.”

The softly uttered name seemed to be the correct answer, as Joo Do-hwa smiled with satisfaction. His slightly parted lips were as red as the blood that had been spilled. He spoke to me in the most affectionate tone.

“Looking forward to working with you, hyung.”

Did I really call him a flower? Joo Do-hwa’s beautiful face melted into a sickeningly sweet smile, as radiant as a blooming flower. But it was the smile of a madman.