I Became the Lousy Side Top - Chap 63
Jiheon had a pleasant, insincere smile on his face as he spoke.
“Choi Mujin.”
A shiver went down Hyunjin’s spine, and he suddenly had a bad feeling about this. His mouth was dry and his throat felt heavy. Why had Jiheon brought up that name?
“Or perhaps, Director Choi of Isak Finance.”
Isak Finance. Most of the debt that shackled Hyunjin was owned by them.
“Do you know him?”
“I know him.”
He’d even lived in their house for a time – there was no way Hyunjin wouldn’t know who he was.
“Good, then this will be easier! Jaewoo’s working for him.”
Jiheon spoke lightly, as if this news didn’t impact him. But Hyunjin couldn’t affect that same lack of concern. The moment Jiheon said that, his mind began to spin. Mujin was a gangster. He knew that Jaewoo knew that too, because Hyunjin had told him himself. How could he be working for him?
“Why?”
Hyunjin could barely squeeze the word out.
“You’re curious about why? Isn’t it obvious?”
Jiheon was still maintaining a relaxed persona. He slowly raised his hand and pointed at Hyunjin.
“It’s because of you.”
Because of him? Hyunjin bit his lip.
“I looked into it, and there were some conditions attached to Jaewoo’s employment. ‘Reduce Yoo Hyunjin’s debt by half.’”
Hyunjin was left speechless. He’d told Jaewoo that he liked him – loved him – but Jaewoo hadn’t been able to respond to his feelings.
Hyunjin had understood that. If he was Jaewoo, he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to bring himself to love someone like him. That’s what he had thought at the time.
But now Jiheon was claiming that Jaewoo was working for Mujin for Hyunjin’s sake?
‘Reduce the debt by half.’
When he was younger, Hyunjin’s father had lied to him. The loansharks and gangsters that confronted him had lied as well. And now Jaewoo had, too. Of course, it seemed like Jaewoo had lied for Hyunjin’s sake. He could acknowledge that the reasons were different, but…
‘I didn’t want him to do that.’
Thanks to Jaewoo’s sacrifice, Hyunjin’s life had become better, but he still didn’t want it. Who could bear to have someone they loved sacrifice themselves for their sake? Hyunjin could never accept this.
Hyunjin stood up, his body swaying. He’d always been able to rely on his body, but now it was on the verge of collapsing. He could barely see in front of his eyes. Despite that, he knew that he needed to find Jaewoo.
‘But where?’
He didn’t know where Jaewoo was just then. Hyunjin lamented that fact bitterly as he tried to hold back the urge to vomit. He couldn’t believe he’d been living so easily without knowing the burden that Jaewoo was under. He felt like the worst of scum.
As Hyunjin began to stagger towards the door, Jiheon remained silent, an inexplicable smile on his lips.
After leaving the luxury apartment, Hyunjin wandered aimlessly. He didn’t know where to go. Finally, he arrived back at home. His younger siblings were there, having just gotten home from school.
“Brother? Didn’t you have an umbrella?”
Since he hadn’t been using an umbrella, Hyunjin’s whole body was soaked through. Woohee rushed over with a towel, but Hyunjin couldn’t bring himself to accept it.
“Sorry. I’m going to stay like this for a little bit.”
Hyunjin tried to keep his voice steady in order to reassure his brothers. Once he was done speaking, he sat down on the wooden patio. Raindrops pattered down on the roof as he kept waiting. Woohee and Hyeonu looked at him with concern, but Hyunjin couldn’t bring himself to say anything else just then.
He didn’t know how long he waited like that before a sound was heard from outside the gate. Jaewoo had returned.
“Woah, it’s really coming down.”
Jaewoo grumbled to himself as he walked through the gate, his umbrella tilted at an angle. Dangling from his back was the large bag that he always brought to work with him.
“Oh, Hyunjin, you’re here? Did you get back early today?”
Jaewoo came closer.
“Why are your clothes so wet?”
Jaewoo asked carefully, seeing Hyunjin’s state.
“Did something happen today?”
‘Did something happen today?’ Yes, someone could say that. Hyunjin grabbed Jaewoo’s wrist and pulled him into his original room, which was now being half-used for storage.
“Wait, wait, my umbrella!”
The forgotten umbrella rolled across the yard. In the small, unlit room, Hyunjin looked down at Jaewoo. He was able to keep himself from crying, although he had to blink his eyes rapidly, but the tearing pain in his heart hadn’t abated.
‘Why? Why are you sacrificing yourself for me?’
Hyunjin just stared at Jaewoo for a moment. Jaewoo hesitated, then reached out and took Hyunjin’s hand.
“Are you okay? What’s really going on?”
Yesterday, the clueless Hyunjin would have been ecstatic that Jaewoo was holding his hand. But now, Hyunjin couldn’t bear it. He shook off Jaewoo’s hold, and asked in a low voice.
“Jaewoo, where do you work?”
Jaewoo slowly blinked as he processed the question, then his brown eyes opened wide with shock.
“Where do I work?”
“I went to Ullim Mart today.”
Jaewoo closed his eyes tightly.
“When I asked the other employees about you, they said that you didn’t work there.”
Why had he lied?
“I’m sorry.”
For a moment, Hyunjin hated those lips that were apologizing to him. But however much he resented Jaewoo, he felt even more strongly about himself. Because didn’t he already know the answer to ‘Why would Jaewoo lie?’ He’d lied for Hyunjin’s sake, to keep him from worrying. But just because he knew that, didn’t mean that he could accept it.
“Why? Why are you apologizing?”
Jaewoo’s mouth closed.
“Are you really, honestly working for him?”
“Him?”
“That gangster! Choi Mujin.”
The silence lasted for a long time. Even now, Hyunjin was hoping that Jaewoo would say no, that this all stemmed from some sort of misunderstanding. He just wanted to hear that everything was okay. But when had Hyunjin ever gotten what he wanted?
“Yes.”
Hyunjin’s hands were shaking.
“And the agreement was that if you work for him, he’d reduce my debt?”
This time, Jaewoo looked shocked.
“How do you know that?”
For a moment, everything went white. Then Hyunjin clutched at Jaewoo’s arm desperately.
“Why!”
His voice rose to a fever pitch. The door to the old room was rattling in the wind, and their voices could clearly be heard out in the hall, but Hyunjin was blind to that. He didn’t know that his younger siblings were clustered outside, looking worried.
“Why!”
All he could do was scream. The hand gripping Jaewoo’s arm tightened.
Jaewoo had said that he didn’t love him, and even though he’d been kind to him, he’d always held something back. So why would he transfer Hyunjin’s debt to himself?
Hyunjin’s lips trembled.
“Is this all just pity?”
“Hyunjin!”
“Did you just want to save someone from a life on the bottom?”
“It’s not like that.”
Jaewoo tried desperately to speak, but what he was saying didn’t make sense.
“It’s absolutely not like that. How could this possibly be pity?”
“Then what is it!”
A gust of wind roared through the courtyard, and the door flew open. Raindrops poured into the small room, but Hyunjin was blind to everything except Jaewoo.
“What is it? Tell me.”
Jaewoo opened and closed his lips several times, but no words came out. When he saw that, Hyunjin felt like his heart was about to collapse in his chest.
“Do you like me? You said you didn’t, but then why would you do this?”
He was drowning in misery. Since he was born, there had been many moments in his life when he’d felt sorrow, but none had ever felt like this. How many people would be destroyed by this cursed life of his? He felt like he was going to vomit.
He would have been content being able to watch Jaewoo’s happy life from the sidelines. He was fine with just being family forever. But it turned out that the one making Jaewoo unhappy was himself.
‘Unlucky bastard.’ He remembered the words his father had spat at him before. It turned out he was right. Maybe he brought misfortune wherever he went.
Tears poured out.
“Hyunjin.”
Jaewoo reached out to wipe away his tears, but Hyunjin refused.
“Stop.”
Don’t bother. Was it rainwater or was it tears? Either way, his face was soaked.
“Don’t go there anymore.”
“I can’t just quit now.”
“It’s my debt. There’s no need for you to carry it.”
“Hyunjin…”
“Don’t try to change my mind.”
Hyunjin held out his hand to Jaewoo.
“Give me your phone.”
“Hyunjin, it’s okay.”
“I said give me your cell phone.”
Hyunjin’s voice was ferocious. Jaewoo hesitated, then held out his cell phone. Hyunjin swiped through the menus until he found an unfamiliar number.
The contact name was simply ‘Jin’. But he felt like he knew who that number really belonged to.
Without hesitation, Hyunjin called the number. The default ringtone sounded in his ear for a moment, then the call was picked up.
─ Jaewoo.
A lazy, familiar voice called Jaewoo’s name. It really was Mujin. Hyunjin growled his name out between gritted teeth.
“Choi Mujin.”
─ … … This isn’t Jaewoo.
“It’s Yoo Hyunjin.”
─ Ah, I remember you.
The voice from the phone sounded mocking. Hyunjin felt like he had swallowed boiling lava as he remembered the marks left on Jaewoo’s wrists and neck. He’d never felt the urge to hurt someone like this before, but now it was all he could do not to track Mujin down.
─ So, what’s going on?
Hyunjin answered Mujin’s question.
“Jaewoo is no longer working for you, effective immediately.”
At those words, Hyunjin heard Mujin laugh.
─ So he finally got caught, huh? Well, alright.
All gangsters are the same. They don’t care about anyone else, all that matters to them is how they can use them. Hyunjin hated them all.
─ But did Jaewoo agree to that?
“He’s quitting.”
─ It doesn’t seem like you’re considering his opinion.
At those words, Hyunjin unconsciously looked at Jaewoo.
─ You should try asking him.
“I don’t need to.”
Hyunjin held out the phone.
“Jaewoo, you’re quitting, right?”
Jaewoo’s eyes dropped to the floor.
“Yeah.”
The answer came sooner than expected.
“I’m quitting.”
─ Before he quits, I want to speak to Jaewoo himself.
“There’s no need for that.”
Hyunjin hung up the phone. Jaewoo bit his lip as he watched him.
“Don’t do that.”
Hyunjin reached out and touched Jaewoo’s lip gently with his fingers. Only then did he stop worrying it. Hyunjin’s gaze dropped slightly, catching on the sight of Jaewoo’s slightly parted lips as he exhaled.
He turned away, and quickly deleted Mujin’s number before blocking it, just in case. After that, he handed the phone back to a perplexed looking Jaewoo.
They needed to discuss things further, but Hyunjin still felt like he was on the verge of going mad. He took one last, long look at Jaewoo, then pushed past him and darted outside. He didn’t turn around, even though he knew his younger siblings were watching them with worried expressions.
It had been a terrible day.
