“Did Eunchan come?”
“Yes, boss. How did that grave relocation job go? Did you contact them?”
The boss, who had just returned from the bathroom, looked for Eunchan. Eunchan greeted him and immediately asked about the request. There was a lot to organize.
“Come inside so we can settle accounts and have a meeting. Hyungsik, you close the window too. Why do you keep leaving it open when the air conditioning bill is so expensive?”
“Yes!”
Hyungsik, who smiled brightly at the mention of settlement, answered energetically. Eunchan picked up the notebook and pen rolling around on the desk and walked into the boss’s office. The boss, leaning back on the sofa, wiped his wet hands on his pants and picked up the document envelope on the desk.
“Did you talk to the client on the phone?”
They must have been angry. Moreover, if they found out the truth, they might come looking for them with a weapon. At Eunchan’s worried words, the boss answered with a smile.
“The construction company already knew, so I said we couldn’t do it. What are they going to do when the construction company knows?”
“Did you tell them the truth?”
“Only half. They don’t know we got paid. Anyway, it’s true that the construction company knows.”
That’s true. Eunchan was impressed watching the boss, who had completely pushed the blame onto the construction company. He really got out of it well. That’s why he’s been doing this job for so many years.
“Did they accept that?”
“They just hung up, but well, it’s over. I deposited the 5 million won back into their account as is.”
“I think you made a good excuse. It would be annoying if they came here and made a scene.”
The moment they said they couldn’t do it because the job was strange or had a high probability of going wrong, clients would come to the office and take their anger out on the three of them. Even though they had made mistakes themselves or commissioned work with lies, customers always blamed the errand center.
“No matter how I think about it, I think the lawyer covered our backs. Eunchan, you accommodate the lawyer well and work hard on the job.”
When did he tell him to just pretend to work and finish it? The boss, who had completely fallen for the lawyer, began to continuously praise Han Inju. Somehow, from the first time he saw him, he had an aura, and his personality seemed good too…… At words he didn’t want to hear, Eunchan raised both hands to cover his ears.
“Should I close the boss’s office door?”
Hyungsik, who had come in after organizing outside, asked.
“No, it’s fine. Just leave it open.”
At the thought of receiving money, the beaming smile didn’t leave Hyungsik’s face. Hyungsik, who sat next to Eunchan, whispered to him in a small voice.
“Hyung, I’ll treat you to something delicious today.”
“Really.”
It was cute that he was saying he’d buy something even though he took the smallest percentage. Eunchan smiled while stroking Hyungsik’s head.
“Now, I received exactly 10 million won from the construction company. After deducting all the various expenses,”
“Ah, what expenses are you deducting? We didn’t even buy anything to eat while going down to South Chungcheong.”
As the boss took out the invoice from the document envelope and picked at things one by one, Eunchan immediately raised objections. He had to keep his wits about him in front of the boss who was dying to give them less money even by a single penny.
“The car we rode in is my car. We have to deduct gas money.”
“Last time while working, I filled it up full with my money.”
“We drove a lot this time. I have to get repair costs.”
“That’s why I replaced the engine on that junk car last year. Ah, do it properly. Then I’ll also receive payment for covering the lawyer’s name value?”
Eunchan crossed his arms and leaned back comfortably. Since the boss hadn’t just started coming at him like this for a year or two, he’d built up a tolerance by now. Hyungsik massaged Eunchan’s arm, saying our hyung is doing well.
“You son of a bitch, get rich.”
In the end, the boss, who couldn’t skim off even a single penny, cursed and picked up his pen. The 10 million won settled from the construction company was divided according to each person’s ratio. The boss got 600, Eunchan got 300, Hyungsik got 100. Eunchan received the settlement statement and picked up his pen.
“Give my 1 million won to Hyungsik. I didn’t do anything this time.”
“Whoa, hyung!”
“Do whatever.”
He felt sorry for abandoning him in South Chungcheong and was concerned about leaving him with the boss’s cleanup work. Eunchan didn’t hesitate to give Hyungsik extra money.
“Don’t spend it, save it.”
“Yes, hyung.”
He’s not even refusing. Eunchan found Hyungsik, who obediently nodded his head, amusing. After the settlement ended, the boss yawned long and asked about the progress of the lawyer and stalker work.
“How did things go with the lawyer and the stalker?”
“I went down to Muan but the lawyer said he was busy, so I didn’t really find out much and came back. What I told you on the phone last time is everything. Did you look into Han Inju?”
“I left it with a detective I know for now. But well, unless he’s a criminal, there won’t be anything coming up. I wonder if we’re just stirring up trouble for nothing.”
Perhaps because he felt a great fondness for the lawyer covering their backs, the boss showed a somewhat skeptical attitude. Hyungsik, who had been delighted holding the settlement statement, raised his head and asked about the lawyer.
“Why the lawyer? Is he a suspicious person?”
“Just a bit concerned.”
He didn’t want to drag him into an uncomfortable situation for no reason, so he didn’t tell Hyungsik in detail. Eunchan chose to gloss over it and move on to the next topic.
“Miro-ssi’s stalker came all the way to the hospital. We checked the security camera but couldn’t see well because of the hat and mask.”
“It’ll be tough to shake him off.”
The boss, who took out a cigarette pack from his back pocket, clicked his tongue, saying a pest had attached.
“I’m going to discharge him first and stay with him. Give me one too.”
“I thought you quit?”
“I’m going to steal and smoke boss’s.”
He had a stomachache from the work that had increased recently. He also unnecessarily went to his hometown and stirred up memories he’d forgotten. Eunchan held the cigarette and lighter the boss handed him in his hand.
“Don’t get too much time taken away by that. How much are you even getting paid for that?”
“I’ll just take care of it myself.”
It didn’t seem like the boss would help anyway. Eunchan sighed while clicking the lighter for no reason.
“Yeah, you take care of it. You know a customer is coming again today, right? Hyungsik said it’s some idol.”
“They’re super popular! Boss, I can stay inside the boss’s office too, right?”
“Do whatever. They said they’d come in the afternoon, so contact me when they arrive later.”
The boss left his seat first, as if planning to go to a sauna or something. Hyungsik kept smiling while looking at the settlement statement, and Eunchan looked at his still-quiet phone and thought of Miro.
“I’m going to go smoke and come back.”
“Let’s go together.”
“What are you going to do breathing in the smoke? Stay here.”
After stopping Hyungsik from following, Eunchan went out of the boss’s office. Since he was going out anyway, it seemed fine to stop by home briefly. He picked up his luggage bag and checked the time.
“Hyungsik-ah, when did you say that idol was coming?”
“They said they’d come at 4!”
He already had a lot of work he was handling and was busy, so it seemed okay to skip out once. Since Hyungsik said he liked them, it was fine to leave it to Hyungsik and the boss.
“Since I’m going out, I’ll stop by home briefly.”
“You’re going home? Hyung, can’t I go too?”
Eunchan, who had thought he’d just smoke a cigarette in front of the office and come back, said he was stopping by home, so Hyungsik jumped up and approached.
“Guard the office. You don’t know when the customer will come.”
“They said they’d come at 4, and you know there aren’t people these days. Can’t I go to hyung’s house and boil ramen? I’ll boil it.”
“……”
“I even skipped breakfast.”
Hyungsik pretended to be pitiful and grabbed Eunchan’s arm. Even as Eunchan sighed, he couldn’t bring himself to reject Hyungsik and pondered for a moment.
“But we have to come back right away.”
“Of course!”
Hyungsik picked up the office keys and turned off the air conditioner. Looking at Hyungsik following closely behind, Eunchan pushed the cigarette he was about to smoke into his pocket.
“Open a savings account. Don’t spend it on games.”
“If I take money though, it all gets taken away anyway.”
“Are the loan sharks still contacting you?”
“Yeah, they’re only fucking yelling at me.”
Because of the debt his father created, Hyungsik had to suffer quite a lot. Hyungsik had an older brother, but even he rarely contacted them because he was on a ship to pay off their father’s debt. Just as Eunchan was, Hyungsik was also weak to loneliness. Because he saw himself in him, because he was like a young brother, Eunchan cherished Hyungsik.
Under the scorching sunlight, the two began walking while playing around with each other. Eunchan put his arm around Hyungsik’s shoulder and ruffled his hair.
On the way home, they stopped by the supermarket and bought ramen and cider. As Hyungsik swung the black bag around and around, Eunchan warned him that the cider would burst if he did that.
“Hyung, you’ve lived here a long time.”
The officetel located inside didn’t have many streetlights and was behind a large building, so sunlight didn’t come in well. If it weren’t for the cheap rent and maintenance fee, it was a villa Eunchan wouldn’t have thought of living in either. Because it was in a somewhat dark and potentially dangerous location, most of the residents were also men.
“Because it’s cheap.”
The two who entered the small alley that was a shortcut looked at the closed shops. They were bars that opened at night. How loudly drunken customers made a scene every night. Eunchan had also reported to the police many times. Looking at the beer crates out on the street, he wondered if it was okay to bring Miro here. Since he’d lived without thinking about it until now, he hadn’t paid attention, but looking at it again now, it was of worse quality than Miro’s house or the hospital room he’d stayed in.
“Hyung, can I boil three bags?”
“Uh, yeah. Do that.”
“But hyung. It might be my imagination, but I think that person behind us keeps following us.”
Hyungsik looked back and told Eunchan. He hadn’t noticed because he was lost in thought. Only then did Eunchan turn around and check the man wearing a hat.
What the?
“Did he keep following?”
“I think so. I’m not really sure either……”
“Let’s stand here for now.”
Since it was an alley anyway, there was a high probability he’d pass by first. Eunchan grabbed Hyungsik’s arm, stood still, and leaned against the wall. And he looked at the man wearing the hat. Did Miro’s stalker attach to him? The build seemed different though. While he was pondering whether to step forward and talk to him or watch, the man had already approached close to Hyungsik and Eunchan.
