…Hey.
It was a timid call. But when Haejeong didn’t answer, he tried again, quietly.
…Hey, Haejeong.
Haejeong?
Ha. What’s with the familiarity?
Haejeong’s brow furrowed slightly, and Munyeong hesitantly opened his mouth.
That watch…… is it really expensive?
That was what he’d been so carefully trying to ask. Well — to someone who didn’t know, it was the kind of watch you wouldn’t be able to place. Wouldn’t know the value of.
Why do you want to know.
……Is it really expensive?
His face was full of worry and anxiety as he asked. Haejeong frowned at the strange reaction and pushed back.
So why. Did you actually steal it?
Ah, no. I really didn’t….
Munyeong shook his head. But he didn’t leave — he was clearly waiting for an answer.
It’s one of the inheritances from my late uncle.
Huh…?
Worth over a hundred million.
……R, really…?
The way his face went from simple surprise into outright horror was something to see, and Haejeong let out a deflated laugh. Then, as if to toy with him further, he fixed him with a sideways look and added:
Yeah. Incredibly precious, and incredibly expensive.
…….
Whoever stole it couldn’t pay it back in a lifetime of hard labor. Not even if they sold their body.
He drove the point in like a nail, and Munyeong froze with a face that had gone into something close to panic. The strange reaction made Haejeong half-wonder if he actually had taken it — but without any proof right now, there was nothing to be done. And his sharp instincts weren’t pointing in that direction either.
You’re sure it wasn’t you?
Haejeong asked again, low and quiet. The other boy nodded with the same honest face as before.
…Yeah. It wasn’t me.
Alright, fine then.
Haejeong stood up as though the matter was settled and thought for a moment. Should he hire someone to track it down…. He was working out a personal solution when —
But….
A very careful call turned him back around.
……by any chance, did you mean it earlier? What you said?
He asked cautiously, hesitant and uncertain, not knowing what to do with himself.
What.
…That if someone found it, you’d let it go.
What the hell. So it was you after all?
Ah, no. Really. Really, it wasn’t.
Then why are you asking.
Haejeong snapped, his face full of irritation. Saying it wasn’t him and then prying away like this was deeply suspicious.
……I think I might be able to find it.
And how exactly would you—
Give me one day.
Munyeong looked at him with quiet resolve.
Stop messing around and just tell me who it is if you know.
……I’m not completely sure….
Damn. Are you playing games with me?
But… I’ll bring it back. I think I can.
Ha, you’re driving me insane. Never mind you finding it or not — if you just know who it is, I’ll—!
Y, you said you’d let it go…!
Haejeong was fuming at the stalling when the other’s voice snatched his words right out of the air. He looked completely shrunken in on himself, and yet somehow desperate at the same time.
If I bring it back… even if you don’t know who it is, you’ll let it go….
…….
The homeroom teacher said… that earlier.
Only then did Haejeong catch onto what Munyeong was really after, and he let out a short, disbelieving exhale. In other words — he was saying he could find it, so please go easy on whoever it was. Haejeong thought it over for a moment. Should he let it go or not. Even while squirming like this, the fact that he was still getting his point across meant he genuinely wanted this. Well — in the end, as long as someone brought it back, it didn’t matter to Haejeong either way. It was actually better to recover it quietly than to hire someone. Using outside help risked Lady Chu finding out.
…Alright then.
……Really?
But. If you don’t bring it back by tomorrow, I don’t care who it is — I’ll destroy all of them.
…….
It’s not that I couldn’t find it until now. I was choosing not to.
It wasn’t as if a handful of high schoolers’ clumsy little theft ring was difficult to crack. He’d simply been holding back because he wanted the matter handled without noise.
…Yeah. Understood.
Munyeong nodded firmly, eyes lighting up. The resolute look in him made Haejeong laugh in spite of himself, baffled. Ah, what is this kid.
And that feeling carried straight into the next day.
Before school, in front of the school gates, Haejeong had called Munyeong to stop — and Munyeong led him into a side alley where there weren’t many kids around. Munyeong wasn’t in his school uniform, and had a yellowed, stained ball cap pulled down low over his face. Haejeong was on the verge of frowning in irritation at the unexpected situation when Munyeong started glancing around and reaching into his chest area, rummaging for something. What he drew out from where he’d carefully tucked it was a black plastic bag. With a look of weary suspicion, Haejeong peered inside — and found a bundle of newspaper.
What is this.
He couldn’t see Munyeong’s face, only the bill of his cap. He peeled back the layers of newspaper, and nestled carefully inside was the watch.
I, I was worried it might get scratched….
Knowing how valuable it was, Munyeong hadn’t been able to bring himself to carry it bare-handed, so he’d wrapped the watch in layer after layer of newspaper before bringing it.
That was absurd enough on its own — but the more remarkable thing was that he had actually come through, and Haejeong stared down at Munyeong with a baffled expression.
You actually came back…?
Haejeong asked, genuinely surprised, and Munyeong nodded and then suddenly started rummaging in his bag again, pulling out something more.
…These too.
The headphones and clothing that had gone missing before.
Ha — Haejeong couldn’t stop his bewildered laugh as he pressed him.
What’s all this?
…….
What do you mean. How did you find all of it?
But the other boy stayed silent, and instead ducked his head lower, hiding his face. Without being able to see his face Haejeong felt the frustration of not being able to read him, and he snatched off Munyeong’s worn cap.
Damn, just tell me properly—
But the words didn’t make it to the end.
…….
…….
Munyeong’s entire face was a wreck of dried blood and bruising. Like he’d been worked over by one person — no, more than one. It was an absolute mess. He was hurt badly enough that it was ugly to look at.
…What is this.
