Debt Collectors
"What're ya doin'? If customers come, ya gotta take their orders."
A man strode into the gukbap restaurant. He wore a sleeveless shirt that proudly displayed his thick forearms and the tattoos etched across them. The epitome of a tattooed thug.
"Whoa... plenty of empty seats, huh? C'mon over here, bro, and take a seat."
There was one such tattooed thug... well, one guy like that. And tagging along was a scrawny dude with notably long hair.
"...Yeah. Let's sit and order first. But seriously, why's everyone starin' at us like that?"
"Beats me. Y'all just eat in peace. We ain't bad guys. Just here for some grub."
The tension that spiked when the pair entered began to ease a bit as people overheard the tattooed thug's thick dialect and their back-and-forth banter. But Shin Jaewoo still couldn't fully relax.
Somethin' off about this...
The girl playing waitress hadn't let her guard down either. She was the only one still rigid with nerves.
"The gukbap here's damn delicious. How 'bout some sundae gukbap for ya, bro?"
"Sounds good."
"Miss. Don't be so stiff. Two bowls of sundae gukbap here!"
"...Yes, sir."
Only then did the girl loosen her stiff posture and respond. Meanwhile, the two poured water from the pitcher on the table and kept chatting casually.
"...Bro, sales have been tankin' lately. Folks keep goin' AWOL, and how the hell are we supposed to track 'em down? Right?"
The tattooed thug's dialect grated on Shin Jaewoo's ears for some reason.
People goin' AWOL?
He found himself tuning in closer.
The scrawny guy took a sip of water before replying.
"Tell me about it. World's gone to hell. What kinda parent ditches their own kid and runs?"
"Silver linin', though. If the kid was still a minor, we'd be totally screwed, yeah? But she's an adult, so we can at least talk some sense into her, right?"
Their conversation reeked of suspicion. Gave off total debt collector vibes.
"We ain't diggin' holes for a livin'. We're just collectin' what's owed, ain't we? But these damn kids make us out to be the villains. Sheesh."
"Shh. Pipe down and eat. Folks are givin' us the side-eye again."
"But bro, that's what I'm sayin'. We ain't the bad guys. Those brats borrow money, then ghost without payin' up—that's the real crime, ain't it?"
Debt collectors, confirmed. And the girl who'd been flinching every time they spoke...
Parents who ditched their kid and ghosted...
Shin Jaewoo could guess who those parents were.
Anyway, as the two bantered on, the old woman emerged from the kitchen.
"What the hell are you two doin' back here?!"
Her sharp voice cut through the air.
"Nah, we're just here for your gukbap, granny. Why you gotta come at us like that?"
The tattooed thug shot back. Park Sun-ok waved him off dismissively.
"Ain't no food here for you lot. Get out. I ain't servin' ya."
"C'mon, that's harsh. Don't hold out on us over some grub, granny."
"You think you can just waltz in here for a meal? After harassin' my granddaughter?!"
"Granny, when did we harass anybody? We just asked where your daughter might be, that's all."
That sealed it. They were definitely debt collectors.
"That all you did?"
Park Sun-ok looked ready to boot them out for good. She was pissed. The tiny, wiry old woman stood her ground against the burly men, yelling without backing down.
That's... my grandma, alright.
Maybe it was Park Sun-ok stepping up, but the terrified girl edged closer to her side.
"Grandma, it's fine. They said they'd just eat and go..."
"Nonsense. Why would I feed trash like them?"
"Granny, you're too much. Why paint us as the villains? That's cold."
The tattooed thug sounded genuinely aggrieved. Then the scrawny "bro" finally chimed in.
"Granny, we're really just here to eat and leave, plain and simple. But if you keep this up, we might not be able to do that."
His quiet tone carried a veiled threat. And with that, it was no longer just a hunch.
Shin Jaewoo slipped a hand into his pocket.
That's enough.
Up to now, he'd been willing to chalk them up as just rough-looking customers, like they claimed. But not anymore.
And the guy he'd dubbed "anchovy man"? Truth be told, his face was sharply menacing—more like a hairtail fish than an anchovy. When a guy like that bared his teeth...
"What? Gonna do somethin' about it? Hit someone? Wanna take a swing at this old lady?"
But Park Sun-ok didn't flinch from the intimidation. Come to think of it, both she and Oh Miyoung had fire in their veins.
Mom was no pushover either, from what I heard...
For inheriting that temperament, Shin Jaewoo was pretty ordinary by comparison.
"We ain't gonna hit no granny. We ain't that bad."
The tattooed thug denied it. But he wasn't done.
"But if we can't eat here, we ain't leavin' hungry. Gotta chat with Yubin at least."
"M-me?!"
Finally, Shin Jaewoo learned the girl's name. Yubin. She jolted at hearing it.
Park Sun-ok exploded at that.
"Why the hell would you need to see our Yubin?! What business you got?!"
"That's why we can't just strike out empty-handed, right?"
As the tattooed thug pressed on, Shin Jaewoo decided to wrap this up. Letting the argument drag wouldn't end well.
"Whew."
Scrape.
Shin Jaewoo rose from his seat. Park Sun-ok was still locked in verbal combat with the debt collectors, oblivious to him.
"Comin' here and pullin' this crap is straight-up illegal from the jump. It ain't even Yubin's debt, so why stalk her workplace?"
"We're tellin' ya, we ain't stalkin' her job. We're here to eat. But if granny kicks us out, we'll just wait outside and ask Yubin a quick question."
Park Sun-ok's momentum faltered a bit as they latched onto Yubin.
"...You really just gonna eat and leave?"
They'd switched tactics, after all.
By then, Shin Jaewoo had closed in. The hairtail guy and Yubin noticed him approaching.
"That's what we said. What else we gonna do? That'd be illegal, like granny says."
The pair spoke like they were paragons of lawful collection.
"But..."
The tattooed thug trailed off, eyeing Shin Jaewoo. Now he was sizing him up properly.
"Who might you be?"
Shin Jaewoo had sidled up beside Park Sun-ok. She finally glanced over.
"Well, I'll be."
She startled, eyes widening—she clearly hadn't expected him there.
Shin Jaewoo spoke up.
"I'm the grandson of the house."
"Ah... the grandson, eh?"
The tattooed thug nodded along.
"Granny's got herself a handsome grandson."
His tone sounded harmless enough. But Park Sun-ok had made it clear just moments ago.
No gukbap for these guys.
Shin Jaewoo smiled.
"Sounds like you're here to collect some debt. How 'bout you head out for now?"
"We're here to eat, and now granny and grandson are givin' us grief. Let a guy get some food first."
"Try another restaurant."
Shin Jaewoo gestured toward the entrance. And he paused in surprise.
The door swung open again. In walked a black man with an undeniable presence. He positioned himself behind the two who'd been squaring off.
"We're askin' nicely, but granny and grandson think we're pushovers..."
The tattooed thug amped up his threat. But it fell flat now.
"...Sir, should I remove these gentlemen?"
His Korean was crisp, without a trace of an accent despite his appearance. Derek Coleman asked with precise authority.
Only then did the pair realize someone else had arrived and turned.
Huh?
What's with this black dude?
Derek Coleman—no tattoos, impeccably suited, radiating overwhelming presence—didn't even glance at them. His eyes were fixed on Shin Jaewoo.
"Escort them out for now."
Shin Jaewoo gave the nod. Derek's gaze sharpened.
Derek Coleman had already set aside his lunchbox and been watching intently.
In Korea, they call it physiognomy? Bad faces on those two...
That was his thought when the hairtail guy and tattooed thug entered the restaurant.
Of course, seeing them just sit at a table like normal folks, he'd tried to ignore it. But the vibe shifted gradually.
Trouble brewin'?
The grandma from the kitchen came out. And she seemed to be holding back the apron-clad waitress who worked there.
Derek caught the exchange between the grandma and the two rough-looking newcomers.
Lunch can wait.
He snapped the lunchbox shut and stepped out of the car. Straightened his clothes and waited for the signal.
Shin Jaewoo stood up. Seeing him head to the scene, Derek skipped the signal and moved to the door.
Ready to enter at any moment—right as Shin Jaewoo pointed to the door.
Ding-a-ling.
The bell chimed as the door opened. Derek smoothly took position behind the two men, as planned.
"Escort them out for now."
With Shin Jaewoo's order, Derek placed hands on their shoulders. The grip's raw power twisted their expressions.