On the way to Eunseo’s shop.
It would have been quicker by car, but Geunsu chose to walk.
He needed time to sort things out, even if only a little.
To be honest, Geunsu was confused as well.
He didn’t know why he was heading toward Eunseo’s shop.
There was no reason for him to go.
The two of them hadn’t even been particularly close when they were in school.
To be honest, the memories Geunsu had of Eunseo were so vivid that it felt otherwise, but they had only attended the same school for a little over a year.
They had never done anything particularly memorable together.
They had never even had a meal alone.
Eunseo was even married.
She had a child.
Was it really right for him to go see someone like that?
He had to be careful with every single thing he did.
Couldn’t he just meet an old classmate after a long time and exchange a few simple pleasantries?
Couldn’t they catch up while reminiscing about the past?
Yes.
They could.
But Geunsu’s feelings were too complicated to dismiss this as nothing more than meeting an old classmate.
No, he couldn’t even call them complicated.
He didn’t know what they were.
They were emotions he had never experienced before.
While he was agonizing over it, he had already arrived at Eunseo’s shop.
He hesitated even in front of the shop.
Should he go in?
Or should he just turn around and leave, even now?
After lingering there for quite some time, he finally made a decision.
‘Let’s go back.’
There was nothing good that could come from Geunsu intruding into Eunseo’s life.
He didn’t want even the slightest stain, even the tiniest speck of dust, to cling to Eunseo.
He shouldn’t remain in her life, not even as a friend.
“Geunsu~”
Just as he turned to leave, he heard someone calling him from behind.
When he turned around, Eunseo was standing there.
“If you came, why were you standing outside instead of coming in?”
“Huh?”
“Did you already come back to tell me what you thought of the bread? How was it? Was it good?”
“Huh? Ah… no. I haven’t eaten the bread yet.”
Eunseo asked him with her eyes opened wide.
Unlike Geunsu, whose mind was in turmoil, Eunseo’s expression was nothing but bright.
“Then? Why? Is something wrong?”
“No… it’s just… No, it’s not that…”
Unable to think of a suitable excuse, Geunsu abruptly pulled out his wallet.
“I didn’t pay before I left earlier, and it kept bothering me… So I came back.”
“I told you it was fine.”
Eunseo laughed as if asking what he had come all this way for.
That smile was dangerous.
It disarmed people.
“No. Still, that wasn’t right.”
“Then how about buying me dinner instead of paying for the bread?”
“Dinner?”
“Yeah. But we’re going to eat something delicious. Something expensive.”
At the suggestion of dinner, Geunsu continued to stand there like a fool, awkward and bewildered.
He couldn’t agree, but he couldn’t refuse either.
He knew he should refuse, yet a part of him wanted to eat with her.
He wanted to talk a little longer.
So he said nothing.
“…”
“I’ll be a little while finishing up. Meet me in front of the shop at eight.”
“…”
“I’m going inside to close up. See you later.”
With that, Eunseo went back inside, leaving Geunsu behind.
But he didn’t feel all that bad.
.
.
.
“Did you wait long?”
“No.”
“My mom was supposed to come, but she’s running a little late today. I had to leave Hayul with her, so I’m late.”
“By the way, are you sure this is okay? We can eat something else.”
They had come to a hoeo samhap restaurant.
It was hardly an ideal place for a first meal with anyone.
“I’ve been craving hoeo samhap so badly. But whenever people hear ‘hoeo,’ they make a face and refuse to eat it. It’s so good.”
Eunseo wrapped hoeo, boiled pork, and aged kimchi together and put the whole bundle into her mouth.
“Mmm~ It’s so good. Wow, it feels so unfair that I lived without eating this.”
She chewed the hoeo samhap with great relish.
Just watching her eat made Geunsu happy.
“Should we make a toast too? Cheers~”
“Cheers.”
They clinked their glasses and downed their soju in one gulp.
Eunseo treated Geunsu as familiarly as if there had never been a gap between them.
As if they had met yesterday and then again today.
Geunsu found it both amazing and comfortable.
“Why aren’t you eating? You should eat too.”
“Yeah. I will.”
He answered, but Geunsu’s chopsticks did not easily make their way toward the hoeo.
He only ate the lettuce and perilla leaves served alongside it.
He limited himself to the side dishes.
The truth was, Geunsu didn’t eat hoeo.
Surprisingly, hoeo was a delicacy.
Having grown up in an orphanage, Geunsu had never had the chance to try it.
He had been far more familiar with ramen and snack-bar food.
The first time he ate hoeo as an adult, it had tasted like something that would make him throw up.
So he had never eaten it since.
But Eunseo had asked to eat hoeo, and he had come along with her.
“You know, I lived in Seoul, and the first time I went to Gunsan, they served hoeo. So I tried it and thought, ‘What does this taste like?’ But later, I kept thinking about it. Isn’t that strange? It just kept coming to mind every once in a while. Weird, right?”
She continued rambling on about one thing or another, and Geunsu was happy simply listening to her.
Just hearing her chatter soothed his heart.
They talked about middle school.
About her transferring to Seoul.
About what had happened after that, and before they knew it, a great deal of time had passed.
“Shall we go?”
“Yeah. Let’s go for round two.”
When Geunsu suggested leaving, Eunseo proposed going somewhere else for a second round.
“Round two?”
“Yeah. Of course we have to go for round two. Round two.”
She led Geunsu to their second stop.
For round two, they had chicken and beer.
Geunsu began to worry.
It was past ten.
He wondered if he might be causing trouble in Eunseo’s family.
The appetizing chicken and beer arrived.
“Cheers~”
“Cheers.”
After taking a sip of beer, Geunsu carefully asked,
“Is it okay if you don’t go home yet? Won’t your husband worry?”
“My husband? I don’t have a husband.”
She spoke of her misfortune with the same bright expression.
“What? But earlier, you said you had a child…”
“We got divorced.”
“Ah… I see. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what? You didn’t know. It’s okay.”
Geunsu was curious about why they had divorced, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask.
Perhaps she had read the expression on his face, because Eunseo told him the reason without his asking.
“I didn’t know it before, but after I married him, I found out he was a bastard.”
Perhaps talking about the divorce had riled her up a little. She gulped down the beer in front of her.
“What?”
“I got pregnant before we were married, so I had no choice but to marry him. But he was always out and about. He had so many women. So I divorced him. There were so many women I couldn’t even count them all, and when I confronted him about it, he even slapped me. That was when I decided. I couldn’t live with that bastard anymore. Still, I’m glad. We got divorced before we’d even been married for a year. It was the best decision of my life.”
“I see.”
“After the divorce, I had nowhere to go. So I moved in with my mom. The shop you saw earlier was my mom’s bakery. I learned how to bake too, so I make bread and work at the shop. I’m living off my mom for now. Hehe.”
Eunseo spoke casually, but the story beneath her words was anything but light.
She talked with a smile, but it seemed as if tears were beginning to gather in her eyes.
Thinking of all the things Eunseo must have gone through.
Thinking of the sorrow, anger, and pain she had endured, Geunsu grew angry as well.
She didn’t say it outright, but he could feel it.
“What about your child?”
“My mom watches her for now. How could I come out here if not for my mom? I think it’s been over a year since I last sat down for drinks like this. I was so stifled I thought I was going to die, but you saved me.”
“Saved you…”
Come to think of it, Geunsu hadn’t saved Eunseo.
If anything, he felt that Eunseo was the one who had saved him.
If Eunseo hadn’t called him out into the world,
if she hadn’t called his name, Geunsu might still be living in the secluded world that belonged only to him.
“Anyway, it’s okay if I go home a little late today. Let’s drink. I want to enjoy some time like this after a whole year. Cheers~”
They clinked their glasses several more times.
New beers were brought to the table again and again.
As the alcohol went down, Geunsu’s stiff expression gradually loosened.
Eventually, he even laughed out loud.
To be honest, he was having fun.
So much so that he regretted the passage of time.
By the time they finished their second round,
“Then I’ll be heading home.”
“I’ll walk you.”
“You don’t have to. But if you insist on walking me, I won’t refuse.”
Geunsu and Eunseo walked slowly.
It was a night bathed in bright moonlight.
The two of them walked quietly down an empty street.
Suddenly, Eunseo spoke.
“Thank you for back then.”
“For what?”
“You fought in my place. Thank you. I’m saying it so late.”
“No. There’s a lot I have to thank you for too.”
“When I saw you earlier, after ten whole years, I recognized you right away.”
“Really? Do I look the same as I did in middle school?”
“No, you’ve changed a lot. But I used to imagine it all the time. What would Geunsu be like when he grew up? I imagined things like that. But the way you looked today wasn’t how I imagined you.”
“Then what was I like?”
“I guess you became much more impressive than I imagined? You’ve become a really cool guy. And thank you for eating the hoeo without complaining. I didn’t know you couldn’t eat it.”
“Ahem.”
“There’s… something I want to ask you.”
“What is it?”
“Could we… meet like this from time to time? Just very occasionally, to have a meal together? I don’t have any friends around here, and it’s been really hard.”
“Didn’t you have a lot of friends?”
“After living one way or another, I lost touch with all of them. And after I got together with that bastard, I lost even more friends. He absolutely hated me meeting anyone. If it makes you uncomfortable, you don’t have to. Today was enough for me.”
“Sure. Let’s do that. We can meet sometimes and have a meal.”
“Thank you.”
After thanking him, Eunseo went inside her home.
Geunsu stood there blankly, watching her back as she disappeared inside.
And he felt that he was beginning to understand this unknowable emotion of his.
Could this be love?
That was the result of activating all the emotions and data Geunsu could think of.
It seemed to be love.
Geunsu’s face flushed slightly.
The thought of meeting her again and sharing meals together made his heart flutter.
But before that, there was something he needed to do.
.
.
.
The Seoul workshop.
Though it was located in a busy part of Seoul, the interior looked nothing like Seoul.
The concrete had been left exposed,
and the only lighting came from yellow bulbs hanging there temporarily.
The floor was covered with plastic sheets that looked as if they had already been used several times.
It was underground, and the soundproofing was excellent, so no matter what happened there, no one outside would know.
The slender-looking man who had been dragged there was already frightened, but the moment he entered, his whole body began trembling so violently that he could barely move.
It was a place that broke down a person’s spirit before anything else.
Looking at the man who had been brought in, Geunsu asked one of his men,
“Is this the bastard?”
“Yes. That’s him.”
Geunsu looked at the man with an emotionless expression.
That alone was enough to terrify him.
The man was Eunseo’s ex-husband.
The bastard who had gone around seeing other women while married to Eunseo, and who had laid hands on her.
They had brought him here.
“I hear you’re quite the bastard.”
“What?”
“I hear you chased after women and beat them.”
“I’ve never done anything like that.”
“Really?”
“I swear it’s true.”
“Oh… You’ve got some nerve.”
“I don’t know why you brought me here, but I think there’s been some misunderstanding. I’m tight-lipped, and my memory is poor, so I probably wouldn’t remember anything properly anyway. I didn’t see anything. So if you just let me go, I’ll live diligently from now on without ever looking in your direction again.”
“Heh heh heh. This bastard’s watched too many movies. So you’re saying you’re clean?”
“I’ve met women, but I’ve never chased after them.”
The man spoke boldly.
“Then how about this? Every time one of the women you chased after turns up, we cut off one of your arms or legs.”
“What?”
“You said you’ve never done it, right? Then there shouldn’t be a problem.”
“But that’s…”
“I’ll take that as your agreement. Let’s begin. Do you know Han Chaewon?”
“I… I don’t know her.”
The moment the name Han Chaewon was mentioned, the man’s pupils began to tremble.
His expression twisted.
If he was going to lie so boldly, he should have held out until the end.
Making it that obvious only made it difficult to pretend not to notice.
“Heh heh heh. We like evidence. Hey, play the video.”
“Yes.”
A video began playing on the bare concrete wall through a beam projector.
A naked man and woman were entwined, indulging in each other’s bodies.
The empty underground workshop filled with the sounds of their moans.
“What’s this? Is that woman not Han Chaewon? Or are you saying that’s not you?”
“Huh?”
“Right? Then I’ll cut off one. Where should I cut? I’ll let you choose.”
“······”
“If you don’t say anything, I’ll choose for you. Let’s go with your left ankle. That’ll probably be the best. Bring the grinder.”
“Yes, sir.”
At Geunsu’s command, one of the gang members moved the grinder that had been prepared off to the side onto the plastic sheet.
The sight of it made the man’s face turn deathly pale.
The grinder’s blade was covered in bloodstains.
“I’m sorry. Please forgive me just this once. I’ll live diligently from now on. Sob… sob…”
The man pleaded for forgiveness through his tears.
“Why do you keep lying so brazenly? I kind of like guys like that.”
“No, sir. I’m sorry.”
“But this is a problem if you’re already acting like this. We still have a lot of videos left…”
“I’m sorry. I’ll do anything you tell me to.”
“You seem to be misunderstanding something. There’s nothing I want you to do. I don’t want anything from you. It’s just that someone I know was hurt because of you. So I want to hurt you, too. You caused that person emotional pain, so I’m going to give you external wounds that’ll be much easier to treat—and that will last much longer. How’s that? It’s only fair, isn’t it?”
“I’m… I’m sorry. Sob… sob…”
The man’s tears would not stop.
“I’m sorry. I’ll live a good life from now on. I really mean it.”
“What’s wrong with you? I don’t care whether you live a good life or a bad one. The only one who worries about that is God, and I’m not God. I’m just saying that I want to hurt you. I’m angry, and I just want to take it out on you!”
“I’ll make it up to you.”
“How?”
“I’ll give up women from now on and live alone, celibate.”
“Why does this bastard keep missing the point?”
“What?”
“I’m telling you I don’t care whether you live alone or as an eagle. You should be thinking about how you’re going to make up for the pain you caused. Why do you keep thinking only about yourself until the very end!!!”
“I’m… I’m sorry.”
“I’ll give you a chance. Listen carefully. I’ve prepared ten videos right now. When I say there are ten videos, that means I can take ten things from your body. With ten, we can usually cut off all your arms and legs, then take your eyes, liver, and kidneys, too. We agreed on this beforehand, so you understand, right?”
“Ugh… I’m truly sorry. What should I do?”
“But I’ll give you a chance to buy them back with money.”
“With money?”
“Yeah. Your arms and legs, your eyes, even your kidneys. A chance to save ten parts of your body. I’m really curious how much you’re willing to pay for your own body. So tell me. How much will you pay?”
At the demand that he put a price on his own body, the man’s mouth fell shut.
The reason he had been able to meet so many women was precisely because of money.
He possessed considerable wealth—an inheritance he had received.
Without that money, the man was nothing.
His body or his money?
He agonized over the choice.
“······”
“This bastard’s still trying to work out a way around it even now?”
In the end, the man made his decision.
He chose to give up his fortune.
“No. I’ll give you everything I have.”
“Then liquidate all your assets and give them to your ex-wife as alimony.”
“What?”
“What? Can’t you hear me? Should I cut off your ears first?”
“No. I understand. I’ll do that.”
“You have one month to liquidate your assets and give them to your ex-wife. Okay?”
“That’s too short a deadline…”
“Is it? Then we’ll do it for you. If we handle it, it’ll be finished in three days. The service fee is separate.”
“No. I’ll do it myself.”
“One month.”
“Understood.”
Just then, one of the gang members standing behind him approached and spoke quietly to Geunsu.
Though quietly, his voice was loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Boss. There aren’t ten videos. There are eleven.”
“What?”
Geunsu lightly smacked the gang member on the head.
“I told you to count properly. What is this? You’ve thrown off the entire calculation.”
“I’m sorry.”
The gang member bent at the waist until his head nearly touched the floor and apologized.
Leaving him behind, Geunsu turned his attention back to the man.
“Sorry, but the numbers have changed, haven’t they? We have one item left over. What should we do? I already settled the property for ten.”
“Uh…”
“Let’s cut off just one thing. Something you don’t need. No—something you won’t need from now on.”
“D-don’t tell me…”
“Boys, let’s turn this gentleman into a eunuch.”
“Yes, sir. Understood, Boss.”
Soon, the man was restrained by all four limbs. Without even being given anesthesia, he was forced to watch with his own eyes as the thing that had been his very symbol was severed from his body.
The empty workshop was filled with nothing but screams instead of cries of pleasure.