Staring at the endlessly stretching white wall, Seongyeom muttered to himself.
‘One million won per hour. Two million for two hours. Four million for two days. Sixteen million for a month.’
He’d thought it was just an insanely wealthy family when they said they’d pay that much just to teach two high school students, but he never imagined it would be in such a hard-to-find place. Seongyeom looked at his phone where his friend had entered the address.
“Damn it, I should’ve just taken a taxi.”
Maybe because it was an upscale residential area, there were no city buses or taxis passing by. It was a mistake to think he’d save money and walk a bit. That house inside the white wall was definitely the right place, but he couldn’t find the entrance anywhere. And there wasn’t a single shade to escape the scorching early summer sunlight.
Feeling dizzy, Seongyeom absentmindedly placed his hand on the spotlessly white wall.
“Ah, it’s hot!”
He jerked his hand away, startled by the burning heat. What was he even doing here in this heat? His irritation grew.
“Is this a scam? One million won per hour? That doesn’t make sense! And why would someone pass on such an amazing part-time job?”
But the offer was too sweet to refuse. Seongyeom, who’d been dreaming of independence, had rashly taken the bait without thinking twice.
“Ah, where the hell is the entrance!”
The moment he shouted, a black sedan curved right past Seongyeom and disappeared like a gliding shadow. Seongyeom excitedly chased after it.
The entrance! That must be the entrance!
He ran, his clothes damp with humidity and sweat flapping in the wind. Just as he turned the corner, he saw the gate next to a garage.
Finally!
Beyond the golden iron gate, he could see stone steps and plants leading to a courtyard. At the top of the stairs stood a square, modern-looking two-story mansion that looked like something out of a magazine.
…But how do I get in?
Another obstacle presented itself. There was no doorbell on either side of the gleaming golden gate. When Seongyeom hesitated then grabbed the smooth gate, it slid open effortlessly.
Can security really be this lax?
The sloppy security, unlike the mansion’s grandeur, felt ominously wrong. Seongyeom hesitated for a moment, but the weather outside was too hot to just wait for the homeowner to appear. Knowing it was rude to trespass but believing the homeowner would understand if he explained the situation, he climbed the stone steps and crossed the courtyard.
“Wow.”
Under the bright sunlight, seeing the courtyard with its sprawling lawn made his eyes feel refreshed. Maybe because it was a wealthy neighborhood, even the breeze felt different. The fresh air cooled his heat-flushed face.
I have a good feeling about this?
Seongyeom arrived at the entrance with a gentle smile for a positive first impression.
Ding-dong—
Fortunately, there was a doorbell at the front door. Using all the part-time job experience he’d accumulated, Seongyeom put on a courteous smile and prepared for the voice he’d soon hear.
Click—
“…Huh?”
Without even asking who it was, he heard the front door’s lock mechanism release, and only silence flowed through the opened crack.
What?
When he pulled the handle, the heavy door failed to do its job and slid open smoothly. Feeling the cool air flowing from inside the house, Seongyeom thought he’d just go in as far as the entrance and wait, stepping inside.
“Is anyone home?”
The first thing he saw upon entering was a long hallway leading to the living room. At the end of the hallway, stairs stretched up to the second floor, with the kitchen on the left and another door on the right.
“It’s really spacious.”
And on the entrance floor sat easily more than ten pairs of men’s dress shoes.
“What the…?”
Is there a family meeting or something?
That would explain why they opened the door without a word. Seongyeom quietly removed his sneakers next to them and opened the inner door.
I can’t just keep waiting here forever.
“Ma’am?”
He entered the house and called for the parent in a low voice. Coming out of the hallway connected to the entrance, he saw a spacious sunken living room.
Seongyeom hesitated in place. Where should he go? He didn’t sense any presence from the kitchen. Should he go upstairs? He considered checking the rooms in the hallway to the right of the stairs, but that didn’t seem polite.
“That’s…”
Then, an intercom installed on the living room wall caught his eye.
It was showing the gate where he’d been standing moments ago, the courtyard, and the front entrance respectively. Which meant someone had been watching him enter from here.
Why would they let a guest into the house and then hide? Was the lady of the house very shy? Just as Seongyeom tilted his head to the right—
Clang—!
Suddenly, something like a long metal rod flew at him and grazed the left side of his neck. The object that hit the wall with a loud noise rolled across the floor. Startled, Seongyeom stomped his feet in place, then looked down to identify it and his eyes widened.
“A-a knife?!”
It was a kitchen knife. It gleamed coldly as if it had barely been used. The silver blade boasted its sharp point as it spun around and slowly stopped rotating.
If this had stuck in my head…
At the chilling thought, Seongyeom swallowed dryly. For a moment, his breath caught and strength left his legs.
He thought he should avoid this, but his body wouldn’t move easily.
Are they having a marital fight inside? Did I come on a bad day? Should I just turn back now? Various thoughts flashed through his mind in those few seconds.
At the same time, his friend’s voice, who’d passed on this tutoring job, echoed in his ears. One million won per hour… Two million for two hours. Four million for two days. Sixteen million for a month.
Thinking about the money restored his courage. He readjusted the strap of his cross bag and picked up the knife on the floor with his thumb and index finger. Having nowhere else to put it, he was placing it on the living room table when he heard a sharp voice behind him.
“Wow, you’re really something. You’re still not leaving even after this?”
Suddenly, a male student appeared from the kitchen. He had a haughty face, but his features were strikingly beautiful. Black hair, large eyes, skin white as flour dough, lips like they held red fruit. All of it packed neatly into a small face.
“…A high school student?”
The blue uniform the boy was wearing looked familiar. His build seemed similar to Seongyeom’s, though he might be a bit taller. The generously sized uniform shirt also caught his attention.
“Uh, hi… Hello.”
“Ha, hello? Do we need greetings between us?”
Well, we’re meeting for the first time, so of course we should greet each other…
Seongyeom recalled which school that uniform belonged to. It was the uniform of a high school that once made the news for being attended only by children of the wealthy.
Aren’t kids from well-off families usually better raised? Why is this kid looking at me with eyes that seem like he’d abuse his power, like something out of a trashy drama?
This boy seemed to need lessons in manners before academics. Without losing his capitalistic smile, Seongyeom pretended not to notice the child’s hostility and picked up the kitchen knife that had flown earlier.
“Did you throw this?”
“What if I did?”
“Ah… By any chance, where might your mother be?”
“Hey, you pyramid scheme bastard! I told you if you came one more time, I’d bury you in the yard with only your head sticking out!”
“Kyaak!?”
From out of nowhere, a boy with healthy tanned skin came running out. He was also wearing the same blue uniform, looking healthy like a well-boiled new potato with its skin on. With his yellow-dyed hair and the firm muscles visible below his short sleeves, he looked exactly like a manga character. The new potato boy who came running with vigor immediately put Seongyeom in a headlock.
“Wh-why are you suddenly…! Urk!”
Forced to bend at the waist, Seongyeom stomped his feet along with each jump the boy made.
Wait, what is this situation all of a sudden!
“Fuck, you pyramid scheme! You could at least change the product type, asshole! Summer’s right around the corner and you dare try to sell the Boss a jade bed?”
“N-no! I think you’re mistaking me for someone else, I’m not pyramid scheme…”
“Then what is it today, you scammer! Is it rose knives this time?!”
“This isn’t what I brought, that guy threw it…!”
“Perfect. Gae Seoldong, kill him!”
“Got it, Cheong! You pyramid scheme bastard! You’re dead today!”
“Aaah!”
When the boy called Cheong shouted to kill him, the potato boy called Gae Seoldong tightened his grip on Seongyeom’s neck even more. Seongyeom’s vision grew hazy as oxygen became scarce.
I really picked the wrong place. These bastards won’t listen! Seongyeom desperately shoved two finger joints under the arm wrapped around his neck. He tried to create a gap to somehow get a breath in.
What kind of high schooler is this strong! Did he only eat and work out!
Seongyeom instinctively felt along the solid arm choking him.
“Urk, kugh…!”
Even as he choked, the texture of the tanned skin touching his fingertips felt strangely familiar. It didn’t seem like a fond memory, but his body remembered this familiar pressure of being choked mercilessly.
What is this? This familiar muscle elasticity and merciless strength.
As he desperately groped Seoldong’s forearm trying to squeeze out the memory—
Seoldong, who’d been looking down at Seongyeom, scrunched his brow tightly. Then he pouted his lips toward Cheong standing behind him and complained.
“Cheong… this bastard is even groping me now?”
“What?!”
Yi Cheong, who’d been leaning against the wall watching the situation, sprang up like a spring. His pretty face instantly distorted.
“You perverted bastard! How dare you grope someone!”
Yi Cheong strode over and coldly slapped away Seongyeom’s hand.
“Ah…!”
With a sharp friction sound, the back of his hand instantly turned bright red.
“What’s all this commotion?”
Then a low, authoritative voice came from above. With his reddened face still hanging from Seoldong’s forearm, Seongyeom looked up. He saw men with rough appearances hurrying down the stairs.
…They’re not gangsters, right? The men who quickly surrounded him stood in their positions and clasped their hands behind their backs. In the instantly tense atmosphere, Seongyeom looked around bewildered.
“I asked what the commotion was.”
The voice that came again captured everyone’s attention.
Seongyeom’s gaze crossed with the man approaching the stairs. In that moment, Seongyeom swallowed his breath.
“Huk…!”
It was an instant.
An illusion arose as if his breath was being cut off from deep within his lungs.
“Haah, urk…”
Seoldong’s arm loosened slightly, but Seongyeom didn’t notice. He only gasped quietly, his shoulders heaving.
“Hm?”
The man turned his body toward Seongyeom. Even as he thought he should look away, his gaze was caught as if drawn by a magnet.
Despite the early summer weather, he wore an all-black three-piece suit, and his physique was so good you could tell instantly even through his clothes. It was as if a muscular angel had descended from heaven and stood there.
