“Or you can watch what we do and think about it slowly. You don’t need to pay right away.”
So Eunchan brought up words he didn’t need to say. The president made an absurd face right next to him, but since Inju had done 60 million, Eunchan ignored it, thinking he’d let this much slide as cute.
“Th-then I’d like you to st-stay with me……”
“Together?”
“You mean protect you? Ah, we can do that for you. We’ll stake out around you and catch them for you.”
At the customer’s one word, the president and Eunchan, the two of them stuck together and added words.
“Yes…… Together……”
This time, the man who didn’t stutter made eye contact with Eunchan. Eyes that were cool because of the air conditioner, and also sparkled reflecting the sunlight.
“Then Hyungsik and the president?”
“Right, right.”
Eunchan, naturally excluding his own name, asked the president. In a situation where there weren’t even small jobs, it was natural for two idle people to take on work. He himself had to pack his bags and go on a business trip all the way to distant South Jeolla Province.
“I’d, I’d like th-that person to do it……”
While writing the president’s name on the contract instead, the man sitting across pointed his finger at Eunchan. Eunchan, who had been blankly staring at the man’s straight index finger, shook his head from side to side and opened his mouth in a very regretful voice.
“I’m sorry, but I already have work I’m assigned to.”
That’s a big deal worth 60 million just in down payment, so I can’t help you. For him, this job where he could at least stake out and catch someone was more comfortable than finding a person with just a name, but since that great lawyer specifically requested it, there was no other way.
“I, I don’t want that……”
“The president is good at finding too. He’s a former detective and a veteran at this kind of work.”
You were a violent crimes detective, right? Though you got fired in the middle. Eunchan, who kept swallowing the rest of his words, smoothly recited the president’s career and praise. Instead of waving his hands in embarrassment, the president nodded his head expressing confidence. It was also a line the two exchanged whenever customers came.
“……”
“This guy’s still a rookie so he’s not that good— But customer, we haven’t talked about the amount yet. How much, how far were you thinking?”
Still, when the man showed no reaction, the president made a small frown and brought up the money talk. He’d probably listen first and not take it if it was a small amount. Customers who were picky from the start had a high chance of becoming troublesome later, so it was more comfortable to just not take it unless it was big money. Han Inju was too much money to refuse, which was unfortunate.
Clicking the back of his ballpoint pen while reading the room between the president and customer, Eunchan soon fixed his gaze on the hesitating man.
“Usually at most it’s a million won.”
The man sat dejectedly with both hands neatly placed on his knees. Because that appearance was somehow pitiful, Eunchan subtly beat the president to it and told him the price range first.
‘Are you really crazy? Why are you like this today?’
Then the president immediately asked with bulging eyes through lip movements if he was crazy. If you’re rich, wouldn’t it be nice to live helping poor people? Ignoring the president’s bulging eyes, Eunchan picked up the pen and wrote numbers in the amount field. One million won exactly. The oil-based ink slowly spread, leaving traces that wouldn’t be easily erased.
“I can give more……”
The man had a dragging way of speaking, and the breaths that went in between were slow. Nevertheless, it wasn’t irritating or frustrating, and rather had a charm that drew attention. Yes, even that stuttering looked special when the man did it.
“First, let’s have Hyungsik do it. You saw that man named Hyungsik-ssi just now, right? He’s fine.”
Eunchan persuaded the man. There was no need to deliberately spend a lot of money on a simple job. Hyungsik had a lot of time now too, and though the kid lacked flexibility, he still did what he was told well. And he was also the cheapest labor available.
“For now, you can try it like that— but it’ll probably be lacking.”
At the hesitating man’s attitude and Eunchan’s helpful information, the president also seemed to give up on overcharging and leaned back deeply on the sofa, rubbing his brow bone.
“If you try it and don’t think it’s working, then I or the president can take over.”
Eunchan soothed the man in a coaxing tone. Do I give people a trustworthy impression? These days, there were many customers who specifically looked for him. They say your impression changes as you age, so that might be it. When he was young, he got into a lot of fights thanks to his height and build that were bigger than his peers. Eunchan sneakily glanced at his own face reflected in the table glass. He didn’t like his skin tanned from working, but still, he wasn’t ugly.
“I’ll keep the documents for now. Let’s get up.”
The man who came as a customer didn’t answer once, but he also didn’t show signs of refusing, so Eunchan brought up closing words.
“Yes, please take a look and contact us. We’ll do well for you.”
The president stood up first and personally opened the president’s office door. Eunchan also straightened his knees and stood. The man looked up at standing Eunchan while still sitting, then soon slowly rose from his seat.
“If work comes up, contact— ah, just a moment.”
He was a strangely eye-catching customer. Eunchan wrote his number under the president’s business card and handed it to the man.
“Please contact me. It’s my number.”
“Th-ank you.”
The customer, who had a blush on his cheeks as if shy, carefully took the business card. With vitality on his white face, he somehow…… looked both voluptuous and pure.
“Just think of it as a taste test. When we start work in earnest, it’ll be different.”
The president stood beside the man and kept talking while guiding him outside. Eunchan didn’t follow the two to clean up the president’s office. Before leaving through the president’s office glass door, the man turned around and checked that Eunchan wasn’t following.
“Please go safely.”
“Ah, bye.”
His small waving hand was cute. Eunchan couldn’t hide his rising mouth corners, and the man also didn’t hide his small smile.
“I’ll see you out to the entrance.”
As if he was a customer too precious to let go, the president deliberately guided and took the man outside. Even if he does that, he won’t get much even if he gets a lot of people-chasing jobs. Like someone who didn’t know giving up, the president continued to appeal to the customer about how capable a detective he was. The president’s loud voice gradually became smaller, and soon the sound of the thick office steel door closing was heard.
“Hyungsik-ah!”
When the president and customer completely went down below the office, Eunchan called out for Hyungsik. While doing so, he roughly stuffed the contract into a document envelope and tidied up the messy sofa.
“Yes, hyung.”
“Just sweep it roughly.”
It wasn’t that dirty, but rolling dust was noticeable. After patting the shoulder of Hyungsik who was finding the broom, Eunchan came out of the president’s office. When he stretched greatly at his stiff shoulders, a breath burst out naturally.
“Phew.”
The sunlight pouring out the window was hot. Already midsummer. Eunchan picked up the Americano that remained on his desk because he hadn’t given it to the customer. Cold moisture clung to the plastic surface and flowed down. Because he’d cleaned up messily in a hurry, the desk was even more cluttered. Eunchan sucked on the straw once to drink the cold coffee and started organizing the papers in front. He also checked the newspapers he’d seen once more.
The job of finding Kim Noeul. He knew it was lucrative compensation. It wasn’t participating in a crime either. If it touched the law, that lawyer would know how to avoid it well. But there was something fishy about it. It was strange to give such good land to someone they only knew the name of, and that person called the donee didn’t even appear. It was fishy that not a single article came out despite the company pouring money to find them.
“What would I do knowing all that?”
They’re people who live up there. An ordinary person like me should just watch the show and eat the rice cake. Eunchan folded the newspaper and stuffed it into the trash can. If it really gets fishy, I’ll just push it all to the president and run, whatever.
“Hey! Kim Eunchan!”
“Huk, cough……”
While thinking about pushing everything onto the president, the president who had already finished seeing the customer out and returned panted and called Eunchan’s name loudly. Startled, Eunchan choked and coughed roughly.
“Why were you like that today? Huh? Are you enemies with me?”
“Ah, what are you, ahem, talking about?”
Whether he ran up the stairs, the president stood in front of Eunchan gasping for rough breaths. The belt tied around his waist expanded by alcohol, cigarettes, and delivery food looked suffocating.
“Why do you keep jinxing things? Why say a million won?”
“Just looking at him, that’s all the size that would come out.”
“Are you the president, you punk?”
At the continuing nagging, Eunchan picked at his ear once. Is helping one poor person something to get so angry about? When you do well for people you know without taking commission money. As if getting more heated at Eunchan’s sarcastic attitude, the president quickly wiped his sweaty forehead.
“Would I come out from the morning for no reason? Why are you like that when you don’t even know well!”
“Ah, what, is he some chaebol too? Is his job a lawyer?”
Already frustrated from being busy from early morning, and even the president pressuring him, Eunchan’s voice naturally had to get louder too.
“He’s fucking rich. He’s fucking rich.”
The president emphasized the words about being rich twice with sincerity.
“He didn’t look that way though……”
Honestly, his face did look that way. But looking at what he wore, he wasn’t sure if he was rich. There wasn’t a single luxury brand logo stuck on his clothes, and there wasn’t a single watch worn on his white, thin wrist.
“His car is a fucking Rolls-Royce and he even has a chauffeur following him around, is that not being rich?”
“Why would someone like that come all the way here?”
Why would such a precious person come to such a shabby place? Eunchan looked up at the president with genuinely uncomprehending eyes. If he has that much money, he could hire private bodyguards or call a security company to catch them, but he deliberately comes here?
