“What do you think I’m going to do now?”
“Ugh, urgh!”
The hulk let out a shriek—who knows what he imagined—and flailed his heavy body. Jaeha clicked his tongue and waited for the phone to fall out of his pocket. Because I don’t really want to dig through those damp pants all over.
Once the phone fell out, Jaeha picked it up and shoved it in front of the whining face. The phone vibrated with a bzzt, refusing facial recognition. Is it because of the blood? Why are there so many things, this one and that one, that don’t recognize their own master?
Jaeha pulled up the hulk’s shirt and roughly wiped off the blood on his face. He poked the crushed nose, trying to stand it up as much as possible, and brought the phone to his face again.
“Baby, smile.”
The phone that had been covering the crushed face still managed to unlock the screen. There was no longer any reason to play with the hulk. Jaeha whistled and stood up, checking the message history.
Coin ads, gambling ads, escort service ads.
In the pile of messages filled with all sorts of special characters, a suspicious message that arrived at 8:15 this morning caught on his fingertip as he scrolled through the screen.
[Confirm if it was handled properly]
With it saved as ‘Boss’ and everything, it’s obviously Jang Hyeokjin.
Jaeha tapped the word ‘Boss.’ It switched to the call screen. Even though the monotonous connection tone repeated countless times, the other person didn’t answer the phone.
As soon as he heard the bright voice saying “The call cannot be connected,” he pressed the end button. And tried calling again. End again, and call.
After repeating it about six times, he heard a human voice. A considerably angry, low growling voice at that.
—What the hell are you doing right now?
“Hyeokjin.”
The other end of the line went silent. Even though he was dying, the hulk seemed worried about his future of being thoroughly shaken down by Jang Hyeokjin, so he crawled over and grabbed Jaeha’s pant leg. With his bloody hands.
First he messed up my shoes, now he’s ruining my pants too.
Jaeha kicked the hulk’s chin, filled with irritation directed at who knows whom. With a thud—a heavy sound like throwing down a cement bag—the hulk’s groaning also disappeared. Now it was finally quiet around him.
“Hyeokjin, the young master is calling you, so what kind of phone etiquette is this? You should ask politely, ‘Hello, young master. Have you been well and in good health since we last met?'”
—Hyun Jaeha, is that you?
“Yes, it’s me, sir. Did you forget the young master’s voice just because a measly three years passed?”
—Ha…
A breath suppressing anger. Jang Hyeokjin was someone who knew well how people saw him. So even though he had a personality like a cheap aluminum pot that flared up at the slightest poke, he tried hard to suppress his anger and breathed heavily like that.
It was a kind of means to confirm power. A street thug who just sold his fists had to scream and wield violence every time he got angry to buy people’s fear, but the great President Jang Hyeokjin of Wonin Construction could make people tremble with just one sigh.
It was truly sad that Jaeha, who was neither a president nor had any thugs, could only beat people into bloody pulps like this.
—Hyun Jaeha. This is your last chance out of consideration for Chairman Noh. Leave right now and never come back. Then I won’t bother looking for you either.
“I guess it’s embarrassing that you combed through the entire country like picking lice for three years and still couldn’t find me. Seeing you spout this bullshit about not looking.”
—You still seem to be mistaken, but right now you’re neither the Chairman’s grandson nor anything. You’re just an orphan with no connections because everyone who could’ve been one is dead. But at least the blood in your head has dried now. Just take care of yourself and live. I don’t want to waste my attention on something like you either.
“For someone like that, you even sent people. Asking if it was handled properly or whatever.”
—Hmph.
Jang Hyeokjin snorted.
—Caught the wrong guy. I was telling him to confirm whether the gift I sent you arrived well.
“So you’re saying I used the pig bastard you sent as a gift as a punching bag real well.”
—Does that count as a gift? Another gift should’ve arrived first. Twice.
This time it was Jaeha’s turn to shut his mouth.
The sound of heavy breathing flowed through the mic to Jang Hyeokjin. Jang Hyeokjin must be smiling. Jaeha’s anger still only feels worth that much to him.
I know what you fear most.
Right now you’ll think I don’t have it.
Hyeokjin, no matter how much of a moth to flame I am, did you think I’d rush at you without having something to rely on?
“That was a gift?”
Though no one was watching, Jaeha forced his stiff mouth corners up and answered.
“I didn’t recognize your warm heart and messed up the gift.”
Haha.
Jang Hyeokjin laughs.
Yeah, laugh all you want. While you still can.
Jaeha laughed along. While laughing, he threw the phone on the ground. Then he picked up a brick rolling around under the wall and smashed the screen. The letters spelling ‘Boss’ tore and split, flashing brightly before soon going pitch black.
The phone barked out bullshit and rang. Taesung reflexively tried to reject the call first, but hesitated when he saw the screen. Is he getting old now, can’t even find the call icon properly? What the hell is this bastard Jang Hyeokjin trying to do, calling a video call out of the blue?
Taesung pondered. Should I accept the video call and watch his flustered face? But since facing Jang Hyeokjin would only make Taesung feel dirty, he kindly did him a favor and rejected the call.
And the phone started barking again.
“Damn it, is he holed up in his president’s office just researching ways to drive people crazy?”
Taesung raised his fist. But since there was nothing suitable to hit around him, he hit his own head. Fuck, screaming as he hit his head several times. The sound of his rampage must have been heard outside the car, as the taxi driver smoking in the next lane slyly rolled up his window.
Still, after getting his head beaten, his mind returned a bit. Taesung steadied his breathing and pressed the call button. His disheveled appearance reflected in the video was utterly pathetic.
—Look at that sorry state.
That fucking bastard Jang Hyeokjin started with provocation from the first word.
—So did you meet him today?
Taesung reflexively raised his hand and clutched his head. Whether Jaeha took it or not, he’d come away saying he’d give Jaeha a chance ‘until today.’ There were still four hours left until today ended, so if he dragged it out until then, wouldn’t he have something to say later?
Bastard, I did what I could. It’s entirely your fault that you’re being buried alive now.
“Even though I was waiting, he’s deliberately avoiding me…”
—I see.
“What?”
He’d expected to get cursed out, but Jang Hyeokjin acquiesced more readily than expected. Taesung was rather bewildered by his attitude.
—Taesung, how long should I give you as a deadline?
Calling a video call out of the blue, and suddenly talking nicely—they say when someone does something they don’t usually do, it’s time for them to die. Could it be?
Holding onto a glimmer of hope, Taesung let go of the hair he’d been about to tear out and obediently gripped the steering wheel with both hands.
“I’ll definitely handle it by tomorrow.”
—Don’t drag it out tantalizingly for a day or two—set a firm deadline.
“No, really by tomorrow I’ll…”
—Han Taesung.
A gentle voice.
Even though Jang Hyeokjin called his name so affectionately he wondered if he’d taken medicine, Taesung’s stomach churned even more than when he’d cursed and punched him in the cheek. A chilling, terrible feeling swept from his cheek down under his chin. His mouth went dry and goosebumps rose on the back of his neck. If it hadn’t been a video call, he would’ve opened the car window and retched.
—I’ll give you a month. One month. Within that time, get the consent form for Baekjin Shopping Complex and put it on my desk.
“I don’t need a month.”
—I said deadline.
Ah, so he means if I don’t finish the job within a month, I should prepare to sleep under the concrete at some construction site.
Things were going too well, Taesung grumbled inwardly as he entered the tunnel.
—Taesung, you’re getting older now, so you should live like a human being.
At first glance, it sounded like he was worried about Taesung who cursed and threw punches at any time, but he knew that wasn’t what it meant.
A hint of laughter mixed into Jang Hyeokjin’s voice.
—There are still a lot of people looking for you.
Crrrash!
The car automatically activated the brakes. With a loud roar, the car came to a sudden stop. Taesung lifted his head, breathing heavily. A long traffic jam was starting from the middle of the tunnel.
The sound of the hazard lights blinking regularly in a tick-tock rhythm dug into his muffled ears. Taesung turned off the blinker and dry-washed his face. Then he picked up the phone that had somehow flown out and was sprawled on the passenger seat. Whether Jang Hyeokjin hung up or it disconnected as it flew, the call had already ended.
Fucking bastard.
Even though this was a situation where anger should be surging up, strangely the curse that came out of his mouth had no real bite to it. His chest churned as if he’d be crushed at any moment by the tunnel ceiling that hung unusually low. But this was the center of the tunnel. Even if he burst out, there would only be endlessly long dark caves ahead and behind.
Not wanting to look outside the window, Taesung glared at the pitch-black phone screen. His distorted face was reflected entirely on the glossy glass.
