Double-Piece

The troublesome rainy season is over. The staff members were busy preparing for work from early in the morning. Breakfast was also prepared a little earlier than usual.

Seok-ju, wearing a white shirt and suit pants, entered the tea room. The members of the organization bowed in greeting.

“Good morning, brother.”

“You came out early, brother.”

“The weather is nice and sunny today, so I think the car wheels will roll smoothly, brother.”

“huh.”

Seok-ju smiled slightly and accepted their greetings. Then he took the seat at the highest table. Soon, the servants began to bring out food in a hurry. Seok-ju looked at them carefully. As if he was looking for someone.

But they were all strangers. The white-skinned servant with his face covered by his hair and his legs limping was nowhere to be seen. He was not there even when the last dish, which was always served, came in.

As one of the male servants carefully placed a bowl of soup in front of Seok-ju, Seok-ju looked at him and asked.

“That, that leg… … I can’t see the boy.”

“Who are you? Are you Ajin?”

“Ajin?”

Seok-ju frowned at the name he heard for the first time. Now that I think about it, I didn’t even know the name of the person I spent the night with. Well, when have I ever asked and remembered the names of people I spent the night with? Still, Seok-ju was surprised that he didn’t even know A-jin’s name.

The paper tilted its head and asked back.

“Isn’t that Ajin? She’s the only one among us who can’t walk.”

“Oh. Ah-jin. I guess so. What’s her last name?”

“Sex? There’s no such thing.”

“No last name? Why?”

As the questions continued to come in, he knelt down next to Seok-ju, keeping an eye on the paper. Then, in a small voice, he began to list out information about A-jin.

“Ajin came to the casino we were in when she was nine years old. She was either kidnapped or sold by her parents, and she came in without a name. But she was cute and charming, so the old man who worked with her gave her a name.”

“Is that Ajin?”

“yes.”

“I don’t think that’s a common name.”

“Oh, that old man came from Pyeongan and spoke with a really strong dialect, and he said that Ajin said “evening” or “early evening” in Pyeongan dialect. He said that it meant something like that. At that time, Ajin was a child and would fall asleep whenever it was early evening. Anyway, she doesn’t have a last name.”

Seok-ju nodded. Ajin. Early evening. It was a name that strangely suited him. The atmosphere, the appearance, and even the way he walked. He was someone who suited the night better than the day.

Seok-ju groaned in his throat. Then he realized belatedly that the members of the organization were looking at him. No matter how open the world is, it is still polite in Korea for the superior to eat first.

Seok-ju belatedly took a bite of the soup. Then he signaled with his eyes to hurry up and eat. Only then did the members of the organization pick up their spoons. Seok-ju put down his spoon and looked at the bell again.

“So. Why can’t I see that Ajin today?”

“I’m taking the day off today because I’m sick.”

“……it hurts?”

“Yes. My body is extremely cold, I’m shivering, I’m coughing, it’s a mess. I don’t know if I’m sick, but my skin is red and blotchy, so I’m lying down in my room with the lights on.”

“… … .”

“Oh my. I’ve seen people get sick and have a fever, but this is the first time I’ve seen a fever go down. And this summer.”

Seok-ju kept his mouth shut. Whether looking to the left or right, it was clear that he was in pain, so he had nothing to say.

Yeah, it would be weirder if I treated him so roughly and he was fine. The thugs around me were the kind who would just laugh it off even when they were stabbed with a knife, so I didn’t pay attention to that.

Jong-i bowed and disappeared, saying he was going to leave. Seok-ju stared at the kitchen door where he had disappeared. It wasn’t like A-jin, who was lying down in pain, showed up.

* * *

Ajin opened her eyes late in the morning. She had been lying down all day, so her body felt heavy and sore. However, she had slept well, so the chills that had been eating away at her whole body had gone away. Ajin slowly raised her upper body and rubbed her arms. The blanket was heavy for some reason. Ajin absentmindedly looked down at the blanket.

“… … .”

A thick blanket covered my body. If only it were thick enough, that would be good, but it was a luxurious blanket with silk and gold embroidery. It was thick and soft, and at first glance, it was not something worth the money.

It’s a comforter that only a wealthy family can afford…

Ajin was startled and kicked the blanket away with her foot. She felt heavy, but it seemed like something heavy was weighing her down.

Ajin scratched the back of her head and looked around. She thought I had stolen someone’s blanket after shivering from the cold all night. But the room was empty. It was definitely the room of the male servants where I was staying, but Ajin was alone.

“You slept late.”

Ajin got up in a hurry. Then she folded the unfamiliar blanket neatly. It was so heavy. Even as she folded it in half, she groaned. Still, the fabric was so soft that she couldn’t help but caress it.

When Ajin turned around after barely stuffing the blanket into the chest of drawers, she saw a basket placed on the clean floor. It was a square basket with a lid.

Ajin put that one on top of the dresser. It felt like something heavy and clanked inside, but she didn’t even open it.

It’s not mine, it’s someone else’s. I shouldn’t touch someone else’s things.

Even if you live without it, you shouldn’t do bad things. Even if you don’t get dragged to the police station or get starved, you will be punished someday and it will all come back to you, said Kkotnim.

Ajin changed her clothes. On one side of the closet, there was a shirt that Seokju had given her two days ago, neatly folded. It was a very strange piece of clothing to be among my clothes, which were nothing strange even if I called them a rag.

“… … I have to return it.”

I don’t have the confidence to see his face yet. Maybe a little later. Later.

Ajin slammed the drawer shut.

After a late breakfast, Ajin washed the mop thoroughly. She was preparing to clean the hallway and the floor. But, a passing flower stopped him and handed him something. It was medicine in a small brown bottle. There was also something that looked like herbal medicine.

“Eat it. It’s good for your health. Warm up a bowl of herbal medicine and drink it before going to bed.”

“Hic… … . Did the lady buy this? This expensive thing?”

“……no.”

“then?”

“I don’t know. I picked it up. If you tell me to eat it, then eat it. Please.”

Kkotnim put the medicine in Ajin’s arms and left. Ajin stared at it blankly. Then she opened the brown bottle and sniffed. A pungent and gritty scent rose. Ajin pulled her chin in and frowned.

“… … Is it rat poison?”

I wondered if the lady was trying to kill me, but I swallowed it down, thinking, “I don’t know.”

It was from that time on that the strange days began.

After the dinner at Taehoepa, Ajin was sitting next to the kimchi crock stand and washing dishes as usual. But her cheeks were ticklish. It was because someone hiding in the darkness far away was spying on Ajin.

It had already been an hour. I don’t know if he thought he couldn’t see me, but he was tall, had broad shoulders, and had gleaming eyes, even a bright red cigarette. I couldn’t help but notice him.

Ah-jin sighed deeply and scrubbed the earthenware pot. There were a lot of dishes to clean up since the side dish for dinner tonight was steamed eggs in a clay pot.

Steamed eggs were one of the most popular dishes for the members who knew Kkotnim’s cooking skills. They were turned upside down when Kkotnim added a little more salt than usual and sprinkled a lot of red pepper powder. Ajin also liked it. Soft and delicious steamed eggs.

As Ajin was thinking of something else and trying to ignore the gazes in the darkness, the older sisters sitting around her started whispering.

“Why are you standing there, sir?”

“I don’t know. Are they monitoring it or something?”

“The boss? He’s watching me wash the dishes? Why?”

“I guess there was a grain of rice stuck to the bowl today.”

“No way! We wash the dishes so thoroughly. Ah-jin, do you know anything?”

The arrow of question flew towards Ajin and struck her. Ajin opened her mouth and said, “Uh…?”

“I don’t know. But I don’t think you came here to scold me.”

“How do you know that?”

“If you were going to scold us, why didn’t you just come and hit us over the head with this pot instead of waiting until we finished doing the dishes?”

Ajin said, holding up a frothy earthenware pot.

“… … .”

The older sisters shut their mouths tightly. That was right. Weren’t they crazy guys who would cut off someone’s head for asking a single question in a casino? If they had done something that offended the mood, they would have died immediately.

The servants were busy washing the dishes. But Ajin was slow. She knew that if she finished washing the dishes, there would be an uncomfortable meeting.

“Ajin, can I help you?”

The older sisters, who had finished washing the dishes early, asked. Ah-jin smiled slightly and shook her head. They greeted each other cheerfully and left while keeping an eye on Seok-ju.

As Ajin, who was left alone, was scrubbing the cast iron pot, the faint smell of cigarette smoke tickled her nose, and then a wide robe landed on the seat next to her.

It was a stone pillar.

He crouched down on a small chair where servants would sit, grabbed the pot next to Ajin with one hand and dragged it toward him. Then he picked up a dishwashing sponge and began to clean it.

Ajin, terrified, lifted her buttocks and stopped him.

“What are you doing!”

“I’m doing the dishes.”

“So, why are you doing that, sir?”

“So what? I clean mine.”

“This is mine!”

“Is it yours? Did you buy it?”

“No, no, it’s my job!”

“I’ll help you.”

“Why, boss! You don’t even know how to do it… … .”

Ajin glanced at Seokju. She had expected him to come and do something, but she didn’t know it would be washing dishes. Seokju snickered at Ajin’s dismissive words. The corners of his handsome mouth rose in a pleasing curve.

“Why? I guess I’ve never done dishes or anything like that in my life.”

“… …Have you tried it?”

“Well then. It’s not like I was a gangster from birth.”

“… … .”

It seems like he was born a gangster. Ah-jin couldn’t bring herself to say that and swallowed it.