18 – Who Found Whom (11)
1.
Why is Haan here?
It wasn’t strange to meet Haan like this, considering my place is on the 4th floor and the office is on the 3rd.
Unless she’s not the unfortunate debtor being chased by loan sharks.
It was undoubtedly an unusual situation for Haan to come out at this hour wearing the same clothes she had on when she entered, even carrying a bag.
Moreover, the bag seemed a bit heavier. Could it be?
And, because of the items hidden inside the bag, I couldn’t just leave Haan alone.
But even if I couldn’t leave her alone, I didn’t really have a legitimate reason to hold her back.
So, I pretended not to know about the items hidden in Haan’s bag and who he was planning to meet, and smiled slyly as I entered the elevator.
“Haan, are you coming down to have lunch with me?”
“······Yes?”
Inside the closed elevator, I nonchalantly took a bite of my lunch.
“I was going to call you up first, but it’s good timing. Where do you want to go?”
“Well, Manager.”
Since it was lunchtime and there was no better excuse to keep Haan with me, I suggested having lunch together.
“Well, if there’s something you like, should we eat that? Or should I take you to a place nearby that I know is good? You can go wherever you’re comfortable, Haan.”
I had to give him various options so that he couldn’t easily refuse, and I had to break down Haan’s guard by pretending not to know anything.
“Yeah, sure. Even if I go, it’s okay to have a meal, right? They say even a ghost that eats and dies has a good complexion······.” I thought, hoping to put him off guard.
If we have lunch like that, I’ll ask him what he wants to eat for dinner, what his favorite food is, if he needs anything like a warm blanket or a soft bed. I’ll ask him about everything in detail.
Haan can answer all those questions or not answer them at all.
Because those questions are not asked out of curiosity, but to sow doubt and hesitation in Haan.
It seemed like Haan hadn’t felt comfortable for a long time. He must have been so desperate for comfort that he would even say that he would let me relieve his guard, someone he met just yesterday.
So, it’s only natural that Haan’s desire for comfort is bigger than I imagined.
I had to persistently target that part and hold onto Haan for as long as possible.
That way, I won’t have to use the items in the bag.
“No, no. Should we just go back home? There’s food at home, so it’s better if you rest and eat there······.”
“······Manager, stop.”
But the moment I faced Haan’s completely lifeless eyes and heard him tell me to stop, I couldn’t say anything more.
Resigned as if to everything, yet with a determined gaze that burned like fire, those eyes were not the eyes of a twenty-two-year-old.
No, it was the gaze that someone who had never lived an ordinary life could possess.
Eyes that truly belonged to those who had nothing to lose or those who could build such eyes…
Right now, Haan’s gaze resembled those of former gangsters who had nothing left to lose or inmates who had become weapons in prison.
What on earth happened while I was at work? Even when I was being chased yesterday, I didn’t have that kind of gaze.
Confused by the gaze, I lost my words, and Haan calmly greeted me with a voice devoid of any emotion.
“Thank you for letting me stay. I won’t forget.”
Shortly after, the elevator on the first floor arrived, and Haan left me, the door closing behind her.
Even as I watched her disappearing figure, I couldn’t dare to think of catching Haan.
This was entirely Haan’s own business, and there was nothing I could do alone.
2.
“Sigh…”
Who would have thought she would show up there? A workplace is really something. I almost couldn’t leave.
Facing the chilly winter wind, Choi Haan thought about Kang Jinhyuk, whom she had just parted with.
When the elevator door, which had to go straight to the first floor, opened midway, and Kang Jinhyuk appeared, she was genuinely surprised.
However, Choi Haan soon recalled the text message she had received and, thinking about the people who had sent it, was able to refuse Kang Jinhyuk’s extended hand.
“They shouldn’t lay a hand on Manager.”
From Noble mtl dot com
For years, those who had pressed Choi Haan, even she who had endured countless despair, were ruthless and brutal to the point that not even Choi Haan dared to oppose them.
To confront them, all Choi Haan could do was run away.
Even that, before a day passed, knowing her whereabouts was inevitable, and her mind naturally became exhausted.
“People who see others as objects. It’s not allowed when it comes to me. Manager-nim… In this world, you shouldn’t understand.”
If it had been the lowest point yesterday, he wouldn’t have entertained such thoughts.
Even if he didn’t involve Kang Jinhyuk in his issues, he probably would have shamelessly grabbed lunch and parted ways.
However, the warmth and affection he received from Kang Jinhyuk overnight had a considerable impact on the lowest point.
“Manager-nim, just stay as you are. Warmly.”
To the extent that even she, who no one believed, felt a lingering attachment to the point of her heart aching.
“Goodbye.”
After leaving a final greeting towards Kang Jinhyuk’s house, where Barun-gil Entertainment was located, Choi Ha-an turned decisively and walked forward without hesitation.
To confront the endless despair with an open mouth.
※※※
“Hey, you really came? I thought you’d run away again this time.”
Inside the abandoned factory where no one set foot, the leader of the beggars, Jo Cheol-man, chuckled as he looked at Choi Ha-an.
“Well, did you at least cross paths with the guy you ran away with yesterday? So you hurriedly ran here after I sent a picture of the company? Truly, the great Choi Ha-an, all because of a man… Khek, Puhuhuhu… Puhahahahaha!”
“Ha, hahahaha. hahahaha!”
“Kuhahahahaha!”
As he laughed, his subordinates Park Hyuk-soo and Kim Man-sik followed suit, and the sealed factory was filled with the disgusting laughter of the three.
“······.”
However, in this space where everyone was laughing, Choi Ha-an, the only one who had seen her, just tightly gripped the strap of her bag without a hint of laughter.
In the midst of her anger, Jo Cheol-man’s laughter stopped, and his eyes narrowed at the sight of her clearly expressed anger – a rage that even he, who had seen Choi Ha-an for years, saw for the first time.
The expression was impassive, but the tightly clenched, trembling fist and the tension in the jaw indicated her anger.
Even Jochulman, who viewed people like objects, couldn’t help but burst into a bitter laugh at the lowest possible reaction.
“Ha, unbelievable. Really? With the guy you just met? That lowest scum? What on earth did you see in him?”
Even the seasoned Jochulman couldn’t help but sincerely shake his head at this moment.
Everyone present knew that Cho Ha-an, despite being distrusted by everyone and prioritizing her safety in any situation, was a fact.
But the surprise was short-lived. Jochulman, with a sly smile, began to mock Cho Ha-an.
“If he came here alone, he probably doesn’t have much money. Well, was he well-endowed? Sigh… That would be awkward. Used goods don’t fetch a good price.”
“…”
“By the way, even if he looks like Cho Ha-an, a few words mixed in would be enough to know what kind of person he is. Looks like that guy is somewhat revealing. Huh? Sleeping under the same roof as a crazy woman like you.”
This level of mockery was familiar to Cho Ha-an, and as usual, she considered letting it pass. But this time, she couldn’t.
“So, how much did you extort from him?”
“Shut up.”
Because the target of the mockery included Kang Jin-hyuk.
“You, you.”
“I told you to shut up.”
Even the hidden enmity was clearly revealed as Cho Ha-an stared at three gangsters in her sight.
“Don’t put that person in your dirty mouths. You are not people worthy of gossip.”
Her gaze, as if threatening to kill them all with just one more word, was so intense that even Jochulman, who had a tough life, felt a shiver.
“Wow. Guys, is this for real? Cho Ha-an said shut up. Looks like she’s really pissed because we mentioned her man.”
However, Cho Ha-an’s sincere threat was only enough to make Jochulman shudder.
The reason why I could only embrace my resentment and do nothing else was because I had learned it through a life of being a gangster, both physically and mentally.
Jochulman looked at Choi Han with a sneer, revealing his contempt.
“By the way… I’ve been wondering how to capture that damn Choi Han. But if there’s someone as precious as you, it becomes so much easier.”
“Well, what is it?”
Jochulman’s eyes gleamed with malice, like a hunter who had discovered his prey with its young.
The moment his eyes met Choi Han’s, he sensed his own mistake.
Damn it… I didn’t even realize I was talking about the manager.
However, when one realizes their mistake, it is often too late to turn back, and unfortunately, this situation was also one of those late moments.
Jochulman continued his story without caring whether Choi Han regretted it or not.
The words Jochulman was speaking now were the stories he had always wanted to tell when he finally caught Choi Han after chasing him for years.
“Catching a woman is no big deal, but you, Choi Han, were different. It hurt my pride, but honestly, it was damn difficult to catch you.”
“…”
“Why? Because you were a worthless nobody. You had nothing to lose, no fixed home. To survive, you could do anything, and you would never let your guard down even when you entered a safe place. There is nothing harder to catch than a woman who lives in her own world.”
Each word contained the hardships and resentment that Jochulman and his gang had experienced until now.
Among the people who had pushed Choi Han into despair, Jochulman and his gang were the ones with the biggest share, but ironically, even Jochulman himself had failed to capture Choi Han for several years and had become frustrated.
“And what pisses me off the most is that you worked to pay off your debt in the meantime. For several years, no less. You caused trouble wherever you went. Why didn’t you stop? How terrifying you looked, surviving no matter how much you were f*cked over, running away and working. Do you know how scary you were?”
“Ugh…”
At Jochulman’s intense question, his subordinate, Kim Mansik, who was standing next to him, trembled.
Even they, who treated people like objects and were despicably ruthless, couldn’t help but be afraid of Choi Han’s determination.
“But now, the time of f*cking around because of you is over. In just one night, a weakness has appeared, as if the rice cake has been deeply bitten.”
“······.”
Cho Cheol-man’s gang couldn’t catch Choi Ha-an because she had nowhere to go and no one to rely on.
“Did the loner become not so lonely anymore? Found a place to go back to and someone to lean on. Well, then, the game is over.”
She wanted to deny it, but reality was merciless.
Everything Cho Cheol-man said was true. Since the moment he sent a photo of Barun Gil Entertainment, Choi Ha-an had essentially lost.
As if to prove that fact, Cho Cheol-man picked up the documents on the desk and held them out, waving them for Choi Ha-an to see.
“You know it well, right? Figuring out what kind of people that guy and we are is no big deal.”
“······Damn.”
“The deadline for repaying the debt has long passed, and you know better than anyone that you don’t have the means to repay that much debt. But we’re in the business, and all we need is to get the money somehow. So······ let’s ask the same question we asked three years ago.”
What Cho Cheol-man held in his hand was a contract.
The same contract Choi Ha-an received from him on the day she barely escaped her uncle’s attack three years ago, identical to the one she received then.
“Looks and demand are inherited. A Chinese tycoon wants to buy you. Three years have passed, and instead of calming down, I’m more anxious to have it. It’s probably rougher than it was three years ago.”
It was a contract filled with malice, similar to the agreement of surrendering one’s body.
Three years ago, when Choi Ha-an first accepted this contract, she could have thrown it back at Cho Cheol-man’s face, saying it was absurd and escaped. But now, it was impossible.
“If you stamp it there, your favorite guy will be safe, and you’ll repay the debt, but your remaining money will run out.”
Because Kang Jin-hyuk was being held hostage.
That’s why Choi Ha-an had to reluctantly accept it, biting down on the bitter truth, and she had no choice but to approach Cho Cheol-man.
For the first time, Choi Ha-an confidently walked towards Cho Cheol-man without running away.
“Well······ I’ve seen Choi Ha-an walking towards me alive and well. Until now, I’ve only seen her butt.”
“······Never touch that person, no matter what.”
“Well then, well then. If you cooperate like this, I have no reason to interfere. There’s a risk in meddling with civilians, after all.”
Choi Ha-an stood a mere distance from Jo Cheol-man and the contract laid on the desk.
“Take out your stamp and stamp it. Then that bastard will be safe.”
At the end of the long game of cat and mouse, Jo Cheol-man nodded confidently towards Ha-an.
“······.”
Upon Jo Cheol-man’s command, Ha-an silently put his hand into his bag, and just as Jo Cheol-man was about to curse, thinking, ‘Finally, it’s over. What a f*cking b*tch,’ at that moment.
“But how can I trust you guys?”
“What?”
Ha-an’s face, which had slightly contorted in anger, returned to its original expressionless state.
“I can only trust myself, after all.”
At the same time, instead of the stamp, a hunting knife that Kang Jin-hyuk had secretly hidden at his house appeared from the bag.
“Indeed, this is the surefire way.”
“You, you crazy b*tch!”
“People like you can never lay a finger on the manager. I’ll make sure of that.”
Splat!
With that, Ha-an tightly gripped the hunting knife and slashed at Jo Cheol-man’s abdomen, looking into his lifeless eyes.
“You f*cking lunatic!”
No, he tried to slash.
“Ha-an, stop! Stop this f*cking madness!”
Until the moment Kang Jin-hyuk’s voice, which he wanted to hear from behind, but didn’t want to hear right now, reached his ears.