Story Of A Villain

“No?”“No…”“Sure, if you say so. I thought you were acting up because you had Gu Wonjae’s backing.”“…”Asshole. If it weren’t for this guy, he wouldn’t have gotten involved with Gu Wonjae.In fact, it wasn’t that he was easy prey; it was just that daylight made him slightly less terrifying.Shin Junmo was wearing a light round-neck short-sleeve shirt and training pants despite the chilly weather, with a black dragon still yawning widely on his arm. However, since he wasn’t drunk like the night before, Cheongwoo didn’t feel as much on guard. Though he was still an asshole.Cheongwoo glanced back and forth between Shin Junmo and Taesung. Taesung looked pale and unwell. Cheongwoo had heard his body hadn’t fully recovered, so why was he coming out of Shin Junmo’s annex? It seemed the bastard couldn’t wait and had called Taesung out again.“Why were you coming out of Gu Wonjae’s annex?”“I was delivering his meal. I’m in charge of serving.”“Ahahaha, really? You?”Shin Junmo’s narrow eyes were full of mockery. Taesung, standing beside him, seemed to know something but kept quiet.“Oh my, how terrifying. Looks like the plan is already in motion.”“…What?”It was an incomprehensible statement. Cheongwoo, feeling somewhat shocked, asked back, and Shin Junmo’s gaze dropped lower. His persistent look scanned Cheongwoo’s thin frame once.“What can you do? You won’t be able to handle it with that body.”Cheongwoo furrowed his delicate brows slightly.“What does that mean…”“It’s about Director Gu Wonjae, who you’ll soon be serving.”Suddenly, Shin Junmo leaned in to whisper seriously into Cheongwoo’s ear.“They say his dick is huge.”The hair on Cheongwoo’s ear stood up.Then, an overwhelming sense of disgust, almost like fear, swept over him as if he’d heard a vile joke.Cheongwoo, who had been gaping for a while, instinctively took a step back.“There’s no need for me to deal with that.”“Sure, really?”Anger made his ears burn. Cheongwoo, blocked by shame, only panted for a while. In the meantime, his eyes met with Taesung, who had been quietly observing the situation.Taesung looked somewhat troubled. He argued on Cheongwoo’s behalf, saying he wasn’t a host, why are they all so crazy about him, that he was genuinely innocent. But a colder rebuttal came back with a vulgar sneer.“Innocent? Bullshit. Would an innocent kid spread his legs and jump onto a man’s lap? If you really believed that, Taesung, you’ve been fooled by the squirrel this whole time. This fucker is quite something.”Silence followed for a while. Taesung seemed quite taken aback.He blinked a few times, then slowly looked at Cheongwoo. ‘Is all this true?’, his shocked gaze seemed to ask.Cheongwoo’s face, which had been pale, was now hard to find a spot that wasn’t red.“…That’s not true. You guys made me do it. You forced me to…”A small, timid voice came from his lips, feeling like he was making a pathetic excuse. It was all because of their coercion, yet with Shin Junmo defining it like that, he felt like he had become that person, captured like prey.Shin Junmo chuckled.“Why cry over something like this? It’ll make you weak.”“…”“Yeah, the kid couldn’t help it. I understand. So, if something unavoidable happens again, don’t go anywhere else, come straight to me, okay?”He murmured in a coaxing tone, holding out a business card between his fingers. When Cheongwoo didn’t take it, Shin Junmo folded it in half and playfully tucked it into the neckline of Cheongwoo’s T-shirt.“I’ll be gentle.”With that addition, Shin Junmo patted Cheongwoo’s round head roughly with his big hand.🧸Gu Wonjae headed to the private hot spring in the annex garden around warm noon.He wasn’t particularly hungry for lunch. His family had sent more food, claiming it was an offering for the shaman.How tiresome. The man closed his eyes in irritation and tilted his head back for a moment. The bright autumn sunlight gently touched his thick eyebrows.Soon, he walked to the hot spring, casually removing his robe. As the thin, black fabric slid down, his broad back, with menacing muscles rippling, was revealed.A fox with nine tails sprawling from his stretched shoulders, a demon with wide, red eyes, as if it would come out from his large frame, vividly covered his back. The bizarre tattoo of claws clutching at cloud-like smoke extended down to his firm buttocks.Gu Wonjae stepped onto the rock with bare feet and slowly submerged himself in the hot water. Steam spread widely, and the maple leaves floating on the surface were gently pushed aside by the movement.Stretching his arms wide, resting them on the rocks on either side, he leaned his elegant neck back. A low sigh escaped him naturally.Being immersed in water like this made him feel alive. The tranquility of nature, with only the sounds of birds, wind, and water echoing occasionally. Gu Wonjae found peace in these mundane things. According to the shaman, most of his external and mental structure was made of parched earth.His sharp face, tilted back, gradually relaxed into languor.The maple trees growing around the garden shook their leaves in the gentle breeze, casting light through the branches, leaving a water-like shadow on the man’s forehead.Suddenly, a small noise, ‘clatter,’ broke the silence from behind.Gu Wonjae, frowning slightly, lifted one eyelid.“What’s this? Why are there acorns collected here?”It was his cousin, Kim Geonwoo. Looking down from behind, their eyes met upside down, and in his hand was a small glass jar. Gu Wonjae, who had been expressionless, finally opened his lips.“Put it down.”“Yes, yes. I understand, brother.”With a solid response, Kim Geonwoo immediately put the glass jar with the acorns back on the makeshift table. Then, he stood with both hands in his suit pants pockets and yawned widely.“Ah, I’m thinking about going back to Seoul. I’ll come back next month if I have no schedule.”“Why?”“Why what? Like you, everyone’s getting bored with golfing these days.”Kim Geonwoo, who had a lover, wasn’t particularly interested in entertainment either. He was there just to play golf.“And the CC here has a shitty field condition. When you putt, it just leaks everywhere…”“That’s what makes it fun.”“That might be fun for you. No caddies is inconvenient too. Those bastards drive golf carts right up to the fairway, so the whole place is like a bunker.”Indeed, Dowonhyang’s golf course, built by cutting into the mountain, had many slopes. Being in the mountains, it was also windy, and all the courses were known for their high difficulty.Gu Wonjae, bored by the unnecessary complaints, tilted his head languidly.“So what.”“What what.”“If you’re going, then leave quietly. Instead of making my ears hurt with all this talk.”“If you don’t like me talking, then you should call our aunt, you bastard.”Kim Geonwoo, slightly frowning, brought up the real issue.“She’s been calling my phone non-stop these past few days because you won’t answer. Did you eat the food for the shaman well? She told me to make sure you empty the plate. Call her right now. I’ll leave as soon as you confirm that.”Kim Geonwoo, pouring out his nagging, handed Gu Wonjae’s phone from the table. Gu Wonjae looked annoyed but took it with his dry hand. Unlocking the phone, he saw nearly 100 missed calls on the muted device.“Ah, by the way, wasn’t there some commotion at the Moran Hall hot spring the other day?”Kim Geonwoo put his foot on the rock and rested his elbow on his knee.“What was it… That squirrel barged in, and Junmo-hyung was going crazy in the group chat saying he got a huge one. Is that true?”Gu Wonjae didn’t answer and went into his message app. He accessed a link sent by someone saved as ‘CEO Jeong,’ and videos of the front yard of No. 7 and various scenes around the annex village appeared on the screen.“What’s this? You’re not making the call and just staring at something?”Kim Geonwoo tilted his head curiously. Gu Wonjae, still with his head leaned back, only looked at the screen.The video showed the junction in front of the annex. Shin Junmo, Taesung, and Cheongwoo were standing together.After some conversation, Shin Junmo handed something to Cheongwoo. Even without zooming in, it was clear. It must be a business card.“Huh? What are you looking at so intently?”Kim Geonwoo, unable to suppress his curiosity, leaned forward to see. On the screen, Cheongwoo, now alone, was seen putting the business card into his pocket.“…Something interesting.”Gu Wonjae’s voice, answering belatedly, sank even lower.🧸Four days later, Cheongwoo burned Shin Junmo’s business card. In the yard in front of the servant quarters.As payday approached, the employees let loose. Boxes of pork belly, specially ordered for the communal kitchen, were piled up in the yard.While watching the meat sizzle on an overturned pot lid, Cheongwoo took out the business card from his pocket and threw it into the fire.‘If something unavoidable happens…’Instead of looking for Shin Junmo, wouldn’t it be better to just quit Dowonhyang? This was the conclusion he had reached after much agonizing.Rather than serving Gu Wonjae or Shin Junmo, it would be better to face the consequences of stealing leftovers. And there was no guarantee that something ‘unavoidable’ would even happen.In fact, nothing had happened over the past four days.During that time, Cheongwoo went back and forth between No. 7 and the communal kitchen, delivering meals and cleaning the yard. He hadn’t seen even a single strand of Gu Wonjae’s hair. By now, it seemed safe to assume that Gu Wonjae was avoiding him.Although he was slightly anxious not knowing why, that unnecessary sentiment didn’t last long. The next day was the much-anticipated payday.“Sir, I’ll treat you to something delicious today.”“Something delicious? You, Cheongwoo?”“Yes, it’s my payday today.”Around noon, Cheongwoo came up to the golf course with the landscapers in a cart. He did odd jobs like leveling the divots on the putting green or picking up golf balls and trash from nearby ponds.After roughly finishing the cleaning, he ran to the landscaper he had recently become close with, his face flushed with excitement.“You’ve been buying me canned coffee all this time. Today, I’ll treat you to sweet and sour pork.”The landscaper waved his hands, laughing good-naturedly.“You’ve earned it with your hard work; you should spend that money on something precious.”“Um… this is spending it on something precious.”What beautiful hands. Cheongwoo’s cheeks, reddened by the sun, squirmed with embarrassment.Having worked alongside the landscapers over the past few days, learning the ins and outs of Dowonhyang, they had grown quite close. Thus, they often said such affectionate things. At first, it was a bit awkward, but now Cheongwoo had gotten used to it.“We’re like work colleagues, so why not treat each other? Let’s go quickly. There’s a place in the shade nearby that’s supposed to have really good sweet and sour pork. Do you like sweet and sour pork, sir?”Cheongwoo asked with bright eyes. Although he wasn’t usually an affectionate person, he sometimes acted childishly in front of older men. Maybe because he was raised by his grandmother and didn’t have a good relationship with his father. Even he found it strange.“Well, since Cheongwoo is offering, I’ll take you up on it just for today.”The two of them conversed as they left the golf course and entered a large facility with tiled roofs. There were quite a few members eating or resting at each table.Cheongwoo hurried to the counter. The female server gave a kind smile.“What would you like to order?”“One plate of sweet and sour pork, please. And, um…”Cheongwoo paused for a moment.His face, which had been checking the menu prices, suddenly lost all its cheer.‘One plate of sweet and sour pork… 180,000 won?’His eyes were in turmoil.Crazy. What kind of prices are these?“…Ah, j-just a moment, please…”Cheongwoo tried to stay calm, licking his dry lips. He quickly checked the prices of other menu items. Sweet and sour pork was 180,000 won, tteokbokki was 70,000 won, dumplings were 80,000 won, stews were 100,000… He stopped reading there, his mouth slightly agape.His mind went dark. Cheongwoo had only brought out a single 50,000 won bill from his saved tips. With this amount, he couldn’t even afford one plate of tteokbokki.“Would you like to place an order, sir?”At that moment, the server asked again in a kind tone. He felt a cold sweat forming at the back of his neck.“Um… that is…”Cheongwoo, too flustered, fumbled in his pocket as if searching for something.“Ah, I forgot to bring cash…”What to do. He had boasted about buying sweet and sour pork, and now he couldn’t just walk away. His face began to flush with embarrassment. Just as he was about to open his trembling lips to somehow salvage the situation:“Let’s pay together.”A low, chilling voice resonated in Cheongwoo’s ear.Then, from behind, a hand exuding the scent of expensive cologne appeared, neither too fast nor too slow, holding a shiny black card.Looking up slowly, he saw the sharp jawline of the man looking straight ahead. His hair was naturally but elegantly styled, and he was dressed in a well-fitted golf outfit.The server quickly took the card. Gu Wonjae tilted his head, casting a deep, sideways glance down.“What.”“…”“Should I buy more?”Cheongwoo blinked a few times before slowly lowering his head. From his deeply bowed face, a small voice emerged softly.“No…”The tip of his ear, peeking through his light hair, turned bright red. He wished he could just vanish. If possible, become invisible for a moment.There was only the sound of breathing for a while.Gu Wonjae, watching Cheongwoo’s pale face turn faintly pink, tilted his head slightly, as if deep in thought.“Your payment has been processed.”The server handed the card and the receipt back to Gu Wonjae.Gu Wonjae silently took the card, slipping it between his fingers. Then, tap, tap. He lightly and slowly tapped on the glass counter. His indifferent gaze slowly descended from Cheongwoo’s round head, his slightly flushed neck, to his trembling fingertips.Just moments ago, he had been smiling brightly when entering, but now he was trembling, unsure of what to do. Gu Wonjae found that irritating.“Um… could you pack it, please?”“Yes, sir.”Gu Wonjae, observing silently, asked in a low voice.“Where are you planning to eat it after packing it?”“Ah… just outside. I think it would be more comfortable there.”Cheongwoo, glancing at Gu Wonjae, murmured in a mosquito-like voice.“Um, thank you so much. I’ll definitely pay you back. By tomorrow.”Gu Wonjae suddenly repeated the words like a soliloquy.“You’ll pay me back?”Tap.As if organizing his thoughts, he lightly tapped the glass with the edge of the card. Cheongwoo unintentionally looked down at that spot. Then, their eyes met again, capturing Cheongwoo in a cage-like gaze.“By tomorrow, then.”The next moment, Cheongwoo flinched.In a moment when he didn’t even realize he was touched, Gu Wonjae’s large hand gently gripped the side of Cheongwoo’s neck. His fingers, feeling for the pulse, pressed lightly with a cool touch. Shuddering, Cheongwoo’s shoulders trembled.“I’ll look forward to it, Cheongwoo.”As if to finish, a hand lightly tapped Cheongwoo’s cheek and then moved away.Gu Wonjae was already leaving the shade house with his group.A faint heat seemed to spread where he had been touched, like a warning not to let his guard down. Cheongwoo was wiping the spot where the man’s hand had been when the packed food came out.“…”Cheongwoo, with a slightly dazed expression, carefully cradled the warm sweet and sour pork wrapped in paper.🧸When they returned to Dowonhyang, it was late afternoon.Before the dinner service began, Cheongwoo went straight to the office.“Do you love money that much? Grinning like that.”He fiddled with the heavy envelope he had received after a month, then quickly tucked it into his apron pocket. Meanwhile, the corners of his mouth kept turning up.“Who doesn’t like money…”The manager, who had been watching, finally chuckled as if finding it cute. Even Cheongwoo, who was usually quiet and stiff, seemed like a child in front of his salary.“Well, then. Your situation should get better from now on. You’ve saved quite a bit in tips, right?”“Yes.”“From now on, buy meal tickets in advance and make sure you eat three meals a day. Don’t get caught sneaking food from the guest tables because you’re hungry again. Got it?”“I really won’t do that anymore. Thank you.”Cheongwoo bowed sincerely in gratitude.He charged his phone in the office for the first time in a while and had a video call with his grandmother. She cried a lot, lying in her sickbed, which made Cheongwoo cry a little too.— Oh, my baby. My pretty puppy. You’ve worked so hard because of me, your face has become half its size.“No, Grandma, I’ve always had a small face. I’ll work hard and come to see you soon… so until then, you have to take your shots, take your medicine, eat well, and exercise. Got it?”— Yes, dear, take care of yourself. Stay away from crowded places as much as possible so no bad spirits cling to your pure energy.“I know, Grandma.”He ended the call with the familiar advice he’d heard since childhood.After finishing the call with his grandmother, he sent messages to his friends to let them know he was still alive. Finally, he had a short call with his best friend Gyujin, then turned off his phone and left it at the office again.Cheongwoo arrived at the servant quarters with an unusually light step. As he walked, touching the thick salary envelope in his apron pocket out of habit, he suddenly stopped.There was a familiar figure standing in the courtyard.“Hyung!”It was Taesung.“…Oh. Cheongwoo.”“Taesung hyung, what brings you here? I was looking for you at lunch to eat together.”Cheongwoo ran over with a bright expression.“I’ve been eating off you a lot, so today I wanted to treat you to something special…”“Cheongwoo.”Taesung interrupted, looking down at him seriously.Sensing an inexplicable atmosphere, Cheongwoo slowly closed his mouth and blinked his clear eyes.Taesung’s complexion was worse than ever. His fingertips, nervously massaging his own neck, seemed to tremble slightly.“Hyung, is something wrong?”“Yeah, something’s wrong. A big problem.”After choosing his words carefully with his head half-bowed, Taesung slowly lifted his head. His eyes were darkly moist.“I have no one else to turn to but you, Cheongwoo.”“…”“Can you lend me some money right now?”Cheongwoo’s eyes wavered for a moment. He felt his heart drop. Then he remembered that he had just received his salary today. And that Taesung knew this fact too.“…Money.”“Yeah.”“How much?”“7 million won.”Cheongwoo felt a bit down.7 million won… His lips, quietly repeating the words, began to dry up.Adding up all the tips he had saved and today’s salary, it was roughly that amount. Cheongwoo, with his head hung low, mumbled for a while.“Um… I do have money right now… but I need to deposit it tomorrow. I’m paying off a loan, so if I miss even one day…”“I’ll pay it back by tomorrow. Really.”“…”“I know, it’s really shameless of me to ask this of someone younger. But please save me, Cheongwoo. My older brother got into trouble, and if I don’t sort it out by today, we’ll both end up in handcuffs.”Taesung couldn’t even look Cheongwoo in the eye, pacing back and forth anxiously. He kept explaining while running his hands through his hair.Strangely, the words didn’t quite register. Taesung was the first person to talk to him kindly when he started working at Dowonhyang. He had often shared snacks with him, warning him not to pick up food from others, and even made sure Cheongwoo got his share whenever they went to town with VIPs.So, he couldn’t refuse him from the start.Perhaps Taesung knew that too.After organizing his thoughts, Cheongwoo reluctantly reached into his apron pocket. He felt the salary envelope deep inside. He also pulled out the zipped bag. Counting out a million won from it to add to the salary envelope, it came to exactly 7 million.Suddenly, Taesung’s face seemed to overlay with the now-blurred face of his father.His father knew that his grandmother, though fierce in words, couldn’t easily refuse help. Whenever she had a lump sum of money, he would come begging with tears, so she had become adept at pretending she had none.Before he knew it, Cheongwoo, like his grandmother, was handing money to Taesung out of affection. Taesung’s face brightened as he took it effortlessly.“Thanks.”“…”“Really, thanks, Cheongwoo. I’ll just use it for tonight and return it. Come on, cheer up. Don’t you trust me?”“Really, you promised. I’ll die without that money…”Cheongwoo muttered grumpily, stepping on the pebbles at his feet.After that, Taesung scribbled his resident registration number down on a makeshift IOU and added an unreadable signature.Even as he took it, Cheongwoo felt that this wouldn’t be legally binding. Still, he bit his lip without saying anything negative.…He’ll pay it back.‘Taesung hyung will definitely pay it back. He’s not just anyone; he’s like a brother to me.’There was no other way to soothe his anxiety except to think like that. After securing the money, Taesung left quickly, and Cheongwoo, left alone in the courtyard, folded the makeshift IOU carefully and put it in his now-empty pocket.🧸The next day, the sky was overcast from early morning, hinting at an imminent heavy rain.The air felt heavy as if it had absorbed water, and the humidity was worse because it was in the mountains. Neither the golf course nor the hot springs were open, so the guests of Dowonhyang were either gathered on the verandas of the pavilions drinking tea or spending their time leisurely in their annexes.“Hey, Joohye noona, have you seen Taesung hyung?”“Taesung? I haven’t seen him.”“Do you… do you know where he went?”“How would I know? We’re not that close. But why Taesung suddenly? Is something wrong?”His scalp tingled. Instead of answering, Cheongwoo slowly closed his mouth, his eyes losing their light and becoming vacant. He had been frantically searching all morning, and now he took deep, slow breaths.It was an unusually early morning for him to wake up, having barely slept the night before.As soon as it was light, without even washing his face, he put on his sneakers haphazardly and went to look for Taesung at the inn. Taesung’s room was already empty, all his belongings gone.Other hostesses began to gather around. After Cheongwoo briefly explained the situation, Joohye, who had been listening, suddenly looked upset.“That bastard… is he crazy? Taking a kid’s money…”“Wow, did Taesung run away overnight? With Cheongwoo’s money?”“Jeonghyun said he seemed to have left with a guest’s car at dawn. What are you doing? You should call the police now to catch him!”His legs felt weak. Cheongwoo staggered for a moment before sitting on the wooden floor, resting his arms on his knees and holding his head with both hands.‘Now that I think about it…’Cheongwoo didn’t even know Taesung’s family name. He had no idea where his hometown was, where he lived now, his phone number, or even his age. Realizing this, his mind went cold.Given how close they had been, Taesung should have mentioned these things in passing, but he never did. Despite being so talkative and caring, he never disclosed anything personal. It seemed he drew a line in personal relationships. Cheongwoo, being considerate, never asked, and now he deeply regretted that.Of course, Taesung did write his resident registration number on the IOU, but Cheongwoo knew it was probably fake without even checking. He rubbed his eyes with a look of despair.“It’s okay. We don’t know anything for sure yet.”“It’s not uncertain. Why would his room be empty then? This won’t do. Let’s go to the office and report it. Get up, Yeon Cheongwoo. I’ll go with you.”“…No.”Cheongwoo shook his head.“Reporting to the police won’t bring the money back immediately. What I need now isn’t Taesung’s whereabouts but the money he took…”Trailing off, Cheongwoo bit his lip hard. Nothing could be confirmed in this situation. Whether he really ran away with the money or if there was some unavoidable circumstance that made him leave Dowonhyang temporarily, he wasn’t curious anymore. What mattered was finding a way to get the money back within the repayment period.“What do you want me to do?”“An advance.”“Man, you just got your salary yesterday, and now you’re asking for an advance?”So, he ran straight to the office to explain his situation. The manager in charge of the hosts and the finance team manager also arrived, looking serious after hearing the news.According to the host manager, Taesung had never taken an advance before, nor had he caused any trouble over money in the past two years. He added that this was even stranger before suggesting they check the CCTV footage from the night before.“Ha. This bastard… he escaped through blind spots like a pro?”“Yeah. They caught him leaving the inn around 2 AM, but nothing after that, why?”“It’s like a ghost story.”Sitting on the couch, Cheongwoo’s fingertips turned cold. He felt a bit nauseous too. All he could think was that all this talk was useless, doing nothing to help his situation.Cheongwoo tried to maintain his composure as he spoke slowly.“So please, let me have an advance. I’ll really die without that money. I have to pay for my grandmother’s hospital bills and repay my debts, but now he’s gone. What should I do, what should I do…”“…I understand your situation, Cheongwoo.”The manager, looking genuinely concerned, lit a cigarette.“Since the season before last until now, we’ve had three employees take advances. One server like you and two hosts who each took ten million won in advances. But they took the money and ran off that very day.”“Ran off?”“Yeah, man. The president was so pissed off he gathered all the managers and made it clear that from this season on, no advances would be given to employees, no matter what. That’s the rule.”“…”“Kid. You shouldn’t lend such a large sum to someone, even family, so easily. What were you thinking?”The manager clicked his tongue for a long time with a look of utter disappointment. It was literally the look of someone seeing a troublesome burden. He grumbled, as if expecting someone to listen, about how busy he already was with work and how hard life was, yet this person kept causing more headaches.It was Taesung who had messed up, but it was Cheongwoo who ended up bearing the consequences.Cheongwoo, who had been silently moving his lips, finally stood up from the sofa.🧸The excessive aversion he felt toward serving others was likely due to a learned fear.Of course, seeing the fairies struggle had also played a part, but that wasn’t the whole story.‘You’re just like your mother, and that’s a problem.’His mother had been a water seller. After registering her marriage with his father and starting life in a rented room, she worked part-time at a local massage parlor.It was his aunt who had drilled into young Cheongwoo the nature of that part-time job, something he didn’t need to know. His father, obsessed with gambling, was never home, and his grandmother and uncle were out working. So, he spent most of his days with his aunt, who would freak out whenever Cheongwoo even slightly smiled, saying he resembled his mother and had a seductive gaze.When his grandmother was out at the shrine, such scolding was particularly harsh. She would say things like, “You can’t change your fate,” “You’re a boy, but you already show signs of it,” “You have the face of someone who’ll sell their body to survive,” and so on.Back then, Cheongwoo was too young to understand what “selling your body” meant. He only guessed that he had incurred his aunt’s dislike because his mother had run away, and he had come to live with his father’s family. Looking back now, he suspects there might have been inheritance issues involved. His aunt would constantly bring up his runaway mother, stealing any trace of a smile from young Cheongwoo’s face.‘Yeon Cheongwoo. Let’s play a game.’‘Okay, what game?’‘Palm pushing. The one who gets pushed back first loses.’Was it because of his aunt’s curse? Or is there really such a thing as fate? In middle school, a classmate would frequently sexually harass him under the guise of playing games.Just as their palms were about to touch, the other person would slyly move their hand away. Naturally, Cheongwoo would end up in their arms, and they would playfully hold him with both arms, not letting go. The lower half of the other person’s body, pressed disgustingly against him, was swollen. From then on, Cheongwoo became acutely sensitive to physical contact with other men.And so, he ended up where he is now.‘I’ll go easy on you.’Cheongwoo had only worked hard to earn money.‘You’re not a whore. Not yet.’But the approaching end was a pit of despair.The rain had been drizzling since the afternoon, occasionally letting up. Cheongwoo sat in the cold, unheated lodging room, hugging his knees and holding his breath, before suddenly lifting his head. The sound of rain outside the small window had stopped.…I know. It’s the situation that’s bad, not me.He hadn’t wished for a noble life. It was just a matter of enduring a moment of fear. With enough time, even this terrible situation would become nothing more than a short, bad dream.This was what Shin Junmo had called an “unavoidable situation.” Cheongwoo really had no choice—he needed the money.He unfolded his tightly hunched body with a determined expression and stood up.He quickly put on his windbreaker. After making sure the windows were secure, he opened the sliding door. It was already fully dark outside. He realized he hadn’t served meals at the annex today, which bothered him. But since the manager hadn’t called, it seemed he was meant to rest.‘6 million won….’Cheongwoo muttered to himself, absentmindedly straightening the folded heel of his sneaker and slipping his foot in. With his other hand, he wiped his eyes. They were damp.Was it really because, as his aunt had said, he had a seductive gaze, resembling his mother’s looks and fate, that he ended up like this? So, is it all my fault for being born this way…?…No.He shook his head sharply, stopping that train of thought. Just focus on the most urgent matter. This isn’t the time for self-pity.As he walked aimlessly, the ashen clouds filling the night sky flashed. By the time he reached the village gate, cold raindrops began to fall, one by one.Soon, a fork in the road appeared.To the left was Building 7, where Gu Wonjae stayed. To the right was Building 9, where Shin Junmo lived.Cheongwoo’s hair began to soak as he slowly looked back and forth between the two paths. The rain, which had been falling in drops, suddenly intensified, pouring down in sheets.His wet sneakers instinctively moved toward the left but then stopped.He turned toward the right but then hesitated again. As he foolishly wavered, his thin shoulders kept shrinking inward.‘Should I steal you, or should I ruin you?’Suddenly, a voice echoed in his ears, startling Cheongwoo. No. That’s not possible. He quickly turned to the right, rationalizing that he had subconsciously headed that way because he often went there to serve meals.‘Gu Wonjae is out of the question.’He remembered the firm grip of those arms, the inexplicable heat and cold, the eerie aura, and those strange eyes that occasionally glowed with a bluish light.Cheongwoo was vaguely afraid of him. He vividly remembered the size of what had pressed against his thigh, writhing like a snake beneath him. He felt a momentary self-loathing for recalling such things, but it was unavoidable. It was a physiological aversion.‘…And even putting that aside…’That man was terrifying.There was no other way to describe the feeling. Shin Junmo wasn’t an easy person either, but at least there seemed to be some room for negotiation. With Gu Wonjae, there was no such opening.That man didn’t seem human.Having made up his mind, Cheongwoo adjusted his soaked windbreaker and began to walk, splashing through puddles. The wind grew fiercer, and the bare branches of the trees around him shook violently, as if fighting against the storm.By the time he reached Shin Junmo’s Building 9, drenched from the downpour, he felt a sudden doubt. The main building was faintly visible beyond the wall, but all the lights inside were off. Cheongwoo rubbed his wet eyes and looked again. It was the same. It looked completely deserted….‘…Did he go out?’Cheongwoo hesitated, standing in front of the ornate gate. He carefully gauged the size of the tall wooden gate before cautiously grabbing the handle and pushing it forward. Creak. The hinges, stiffened by the rain, let out a small, eerie sound.He couldn’t see well ahead. The rain was pouring down heavily, and the garden lights were off, leaving everything pitch black. Then, CRACK! Thunder struck, briefly illuminating the surroundings. Cheongwoo froze in place.Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine.A man was standing inside the railing of the porch. It was Gu Wonjae.It was impossible to tell how long he had been there. The man was smoking, his calm, piercing gaze fixed on Cheongwoo as bluish smoke curled around him.Splash.Cheongwoo stepped back, his feet sinking into the wet grass.This… this is definitely Shin Junmo’s annex.He calmly checked the blue number plate fixed to the wooden pillar next to the porch. It was clearly Building 9. So why was that man here…? Questions swirled in his mind. At that moment, BANG! The gate slammed shut with a loud noise. Startled, Cheongwoo turned around—it must have been the sudden gust of wind and rain.“So you came here.”Gu Wonjae’s voice cut through the rain, low and soft. Cheongwoo slowly turned his head back to look at the porch.“I had a feeling you might.”“……”“You came here?”His fingertips began to tremble. A low, cold sigh seemed to follow.Inside the curtain of rain pouring down the roof tiles, Gu Wonjae stood motionless, then flicked his cigarette away. His hand, resting on the railing, revealed prominent blue veins as lightning flashed again, illuminating his sly smile.“You’ve got a death wish, don’t you?”The rain poured down in straight lines from all directions.‘…Run…’I have to run.The thought flashed through his mind like lightning. Cheongwoo stumbled backward, then turned and sprinted toward the gate.He fumbled with the gate, grabbing the handle and pushing it forward to escape, but someone outside blocked it. Men in black suits stood outside, holding umbrellas. Through the slightly opened gap, Cheongwoo met their wide, glaring eyes.Gasp. Startled, he hesitated, and the gate slammed shut again. Gu Wonjae’s men, who had been waiting, now firmly blocked the exit.His heart raced violently. It was even hard to blink in the pouring rain. Cheongwoo parted his wet lips, exhaling white breath, and glanced around frantically.‘The side door… there’s a side door.’Belatedly remembering the staff entrance, he immediately headed toward it. But the next moment, a wet arm silently reached out from behind and tightly wrapped around his waist. Cheongwoo swallowed a gasp and froze.Splash.Cheongwoo’s feet dangled in the air as he was lifted.A soft, damp voice whispered chillingly in his ear.“You’ll catch a cold. Let’s go inside.”Cheongwoo stared straight ahead, his chin trembling. His lips, tinged with purple, moved slowly.“…No.”His face was ghostly pale, as if he’d seen a demon.“Hng, ugh… No. Let me go…!”He fiercely struck and clawed at the slippery, muscular arm. He thrashed his entire body, letting out small screams. It was utterly futile against the man’s strength, but Cheongwoo couldn’t give up. His weak cries and struggles grew more desperate.“Help me! Someone help! Let me go! Let go! I said let go!”Meanwhile, the front door opened. Beyond the elegantly decorated traditional reception room was a small tea room with a folding screen, silk cushions, and a five-sided table. Further in, a pair of round sliding doors came into view.The doors were already wide open. By the time they crossed the threshold, Cheongwoo was already slung over the man’s broad shoulder like a sack.Inside the second door was a bedroom connected to the porch. Gu Wonjae quickly entered the room and unceremoniously threw Cheongwoo onto the expansive king-sized bed.“Haa!”Cheongwoo, flung onto the bed, struggled to steady his flailing limbs on the bouncing mattress.As Gu Wonjae swept his wet hair back, Cheongwoo quickly rolled off the bed, trying to get up and make a run for the door.Gu Wonjae let out a stifled laugh and grabbed Cheongwoo’s shoulder, roughly throwing him back onto the bed. Thud. Cheongwoo fell awkwardly, flailing for a moment. Gu Wonjae watched the scene with a lazy smirk.“Hng, the… the sheets are wet.”Cheongwoo sat up abruptly, stammering as he raised his disheveled head.“The sheets are wet…”Gu Wonjae tilted his head slightly, muttering, “That’s right.”“You’re making the sheets wet. So take them off.”Cheongwoo’s shoulders jerked. He opened his mouth slightly, as if he’d heard something he shouldn’t have. Instead of responding, he crawled off the bed, sliding down the side.The moment his feet touched the floor, Gu Wonjae blocked his path again. Facing the man’s towering figure felt like standing before an insurmountable wall. Every time Cheongwoo tried to move past him, Gu Wonjae effortlessly cut him off, like a true bandit.“…I don’t want to.”