Yeon Cheonguk cleared his throat unnecessarily and straightened his posture. Unable to think of an excuse, he put on a serious expression as if reviewing the parts he’d already read. The rattling electric fan wind tousled his bangs.
“Don’t high school juniors have supplementary classes during summer vacation these days?”
“I’m in the middle of my own life supplementary classes.”
“…?”
Screech, the part-timer pushed back his chair and stood up from his seat, taking a large sheet of paper and heading to the pillar.
“At first I wondered why that gangster Hwang-je made a clean-cut guy like you his errand boy… but you’ve got a pretty unique temperament too. Are you going into art or the arts?”
Right now, with songs left unfinished, he wasn’t in any position to dream of a rosy future becoming a singer. It wasn’t a dream but more like a torn page from a comic book. Yeon Cheonguk didn’t answer.
The part-timer was replacing and putting up a poster for a newly arrived video.
The title was <Moulin Rouge>.
In the poster, against a backdrop of a sparkling windmill, a woman in a bright red dress and a man were sharing a passionate kiss. The main tagline was ‘Where fatal temptation exists’…. It seemed to be an adult video rated for ages 19 and up. Yeon Cheonguk, who had been glancing at the provocative photo, asked mockingly:
“Won’t that bastard rent this one?”
“This isn’t a dirty video. It’s a musical film.”
“Musical?”
It was a word that seemed familiar yet unfamiliar. Jekyll and Hyde, The Phantom of the Opera… he thought he’d heard of those. They drifted around in his head, mixed up with animated films.
“The OST for this is really famous. Christina Aguilera sang it. Nicole Kidman appears as a goddess….”
“Does she sing well?”
“What?”
“You said it’s a musical. Isn’t it a movie where they sing? I’m asking if the lead character in it sings well.”
“Well… I haven’t watched it yet either. They wouldn’t have filmed it if she didn’t sing well, right?”
“I’ll rent that.”
Yeon Cheonguk jumped up and went to the counter. The part-timer who finished putting up the poster and returned to his seat explained:
“New video rental fee is 600 won. The rental period is only one day too.”
“Yes. I’ll rent it.”
He didn’t know what he was thinking when even the VHS player at home had a red sticker on it. But since it was a movie about singing, he felt he absolutely had to watch it.
He embezzled another 600 won from Hwang Jegu’s tab and shoved the videotape into a black plastic bag. While picking up the video, he casually looked at the counter computer. Windows XP had come out ages ago, but seeing the taskbar was gray, it must still be Windows 98. As Yeon Cheonguk glanced at the monitor screen, he discovered something peculiar.
In Hwang Jegu’s member information section, the emergency contact numbers were filled in completely—as many as five slots!
“What are all those numbers?”
“It’s nothing much. …But you. Are you and this member in a master-servant relationship or friends? You don’t seem to be running errands under duress.”
The part-timer who changed the subject hesitated before adding:
“He’s kind of a scary kid, you know. From what I heard before….”
Clang, the door opened and the words were cut off. A customer came in and piled up a stack of comic books to return at the counter.
‘Scary kid’ was probably a softened expression for ‘hopeless bad quality.’ Since Yeon Cheonguk’s original thoughts were the same, he didn’t want to object.
But what psychology made rebellious feelings rise up strangely? Yeon Cheonguk, who had been standing with his arms crossed and sulking, threw a comment at the part-timer scanning the barcodes of the tall stack of books:
“There must have been circumstances. Maybe he became scary because there were reasons to become scary.”
Without listening to the part-timer’s answer, Yeon Cheonguk was turning around when he suddenly discovered an unusual cover among the tall stack of comic books. It was a comic with a 19+ sticker, and there were two men on the cover.
What’s this? As he picked it up, the part-timer issued a warning:
“That’s from that corner over there. It’s a scary book that’ll give us smallpox the moment we touch it.”
Where the part-timer pointed, there was a laminated label distinguishing genres. The word written in cute lettering was three syllables.
<Yaoi>
Yaoi? Sexy meowing? Tilting his head, he picked up the book and flipped through it. One unusual page caught his eye. It was a full-page panel production, and inside flowers and sparkling effects, two men were embracing and kissing. In the exact same pose as <Moulin Rouge>’s poster…!
When Yeon Cheonguk’s eyes widened, the part-timer snatched the book away. He grumbled while scanning the barcode with a beep:
“If it didn’t make money, I’d throw out the whole section.”
Just how much did it contribute to this video rental shop’s revenue that they gritted their teeth and kept it in stock? Curiosity billowed up.
Just then, the alarm sound from the clock hanging on the shop wall rang beep-beep-beep, announcing 11 o’clock sharp.
“Ahhh! Already?”
Yeon Cheonguk jumped and left the video rental shop. Today, Gakseori had something to do before lunch so they agreed to switch at the butcher shop at 11! He had to answer phone calls from business contacts!
He ran at full speed, the plastic bag with the videotape fluttering. It took about 15 minutes to walk to the market. If he ran fast, he could arrive within 10 minutes.
Outside, the scorching sun beat down mercilessly in sweltering heat. As he sweated profusely, he desperately wanted a cool bath. It would be refreshing to wash up coolly at the bathhouse and eat a frozen yogurt right after. Since there was no time to go to the bathhouse, he should at least eat yogurt.
Yeon Cheonguk, who ran breathlessly into the market, first rushed to the yogurt lady.
“Frozen yogurt! Do you have any?”
“I have exactly two left.”
“Give them to me!”
He handed over six 100-won coins from his pocket and received two cold yogurts. He shoved the yogurts into his pocket and ran through the market again.
Arriving at the butcher shop, Yeon Cheonguk discovered a memo wedged between the glass of the outdoor display case.
You bastard why aren’t you here? -_-+
I have business so I’m leaving first. ㅡㅡ
I shoved the key in your asshole so look carefully you fucking idiot
Fucking son of a bitch kaboombadaboom shabara
You better come quick Yeon Cheonguk you crazy bastard dick face psycho
Asshole—where could he have hidden it?
Gasping for breath while searching around the display case, Yeon Cheonguk suddenly looked up at the stairs. Don’t tell me he hid it on the second floor…?
Hwang Jegu had threatened Yeon Cheonguk not to approach the slaughterhouse or the second floor. The only area of activity permitted to Yeon Cheonguk in this place was the chair in front of the phone. But he had to open the shop door, didn’t he? Having no choice, he headed to the second floor.
Water was dripping from somewhere, running down the narrow stairs. Carefully climbing up in his slippers, he saw a public restroom ahead. Water was leaking from there and flowing down to the stairs. Afraid of slipping, he stepped carefully.
As soon as he reached the second floor, he heard a TV sound from the left. There was also a faint foul smell, so he thought there might be another bathroom, but when he looked to the left, there was a small house.
He was sure the TV sound was coming from beyond this window. Was it a room attached to the butcher shop?
Yeon Cheonguk approached the opaque glass of the iron door. While looking around the door area for the shop key, Yeon Cheonguk discovered something unusual.
“What the. Why…?”
At chest height, there was a padlock that locked the door from the outside!
Locking doors from the outside wasn’t common. Several dark imaginings passed through his head. The acrid smell coming from inside the house too… Don’t tell me… confinement?
“Fuck…!”
Of all places, something like this in the second-floor room of Hwang Jegu’s shop…?!
His hands and feet trembling, he leaned against the wall and caught his breath for a moment. Within the fear, an internal conflict began.
Should he first request help from an adult nearby, report to the police, or contact that violent crimes detective ahjussi?
While pondering which would be the most effective method, Yeon Cheonguk discovered a large box placed at his feet.
The box was full of household goods. There were many types including bleach, detergent, shampoo, cooking oil, cockroach poison, scissors, kitchen knives, etc. He saw writing in magic marker on the outside of the box.
[Leave outside when going out]
“What the, why leave household goods outside too? Don’t tell me it’s torture to prevent washing…?”
As Yeon Cheonguk was thinking in a strange direction, he stared carefully at the handwriting. It was because the handwriting seemed familiar somehow.
But it seemed dangerous to stay here even a moment longer. He was just about to give up on finding the shop key and go down.
A resounding voice came from inside the door.
– Is… is that you, bastard? Hwang Jegu?
It was a shout like a scolding. At the completely unexpected sign of a person and with Hwang Jegu’s name coming up, Yeon Cheonguk froze for a moment.
As expected…! Hwang Jegu had confined someone…!
