The Scammers' Trap
"Whoa. Sorry I'm late!"
The door swung open, and a young man stepped in carrying a luggage box. Trailing behind him was the blond youth—Seok-pil—his face pale as he shot me a glare.
"......."
"......."
The stare was so icy it gave me chills, so I quietly turned my head away.
"Um, hey. Kid? It looked like a total misunderstanding, so cut the guy some slack."
Kim Sang-ah patted Seok-pil's hand and tapped his shoulder. Seok-pil shuffled into the room, still hunched over, stood awkwardly for a moment, then let out a heavy sigh loud enough for everyone to hear.
"...50,000 won to New Seoul."
"What? Hold on. Wasn't it 150,000 won earlier?"
Confusion spread across Kim Sang-ah's face. Figures. They'd started low to hook her, then jacked up the price exploiting her desperation.
The young man beside Seok-pil stepped forward, blocking her with a friendly smile.
"Calm down, ma'am. You know this business has all sorts of complications, right? Just got a call from our New Seoul contacts—the military and cops are acting weird, like they're searching for something specific."
"Probably hunting some murderer," Seok-pil sneered.
I sipped my tea in silence. It was cheap tea bag stuff in a paper cup.
"...Hmm."
One sip.
"No, but jacking the price up over double like that... We're not digging holes for a living here. I told you, we just take enough to get by. The extra 350,000 isn't profit—it's legit extra costs. You gotta grease a lot of palms to sneak into New Seoul through the back door."
"But that kid doesn't have any money," Seok-pil sniped.
The young man beside him shot Seok-pil a warning look and waved it off at me with a laugh.
"Haha! Don't mind him, kid! He's just narrow-minded. You—pitying the poor thing to make a sale, then sabotaging it yourself?"
"Whatever. Who knew he'd be the type to mess with other people's junk."
"Hey!"
Seok-pil and the young man started bickering. Meanwhile, Kim Sang-ah seemed to steel herself and rummaged in her bundle, pulling something out.
"...It's pure gold. Will this work?"
A golden ring gleamed on her palm. I glanced at it—sized perfectly for her ring finger.
"Well, we do take trades sometimes..."
Seok-pil's eyes lit up. He exchanged a signal with the young man, then awkwardly stood.
"We wouldn't know real from fake. Let's go to my jeweler buddy nearby. Could be a scam."
"S-scam?! I'm a lawyer with an office—"
"Let's go."
As Seok-pil left, Kim Sang-ah hesitated, grabbed her bundle, and followed.
"......Haha. Sorry. He's a bit of a sleaze."
The young man chuckled and sat across from me. I eyed him briefly, then lifted my paper cup.
"......."
His gaze flicked between my lips and the half-empty cup. Well, yeah. Phoenix is pretty cute. With idol-level looks and a high school uniform, it was no wonder he was getting ideas. I'd felt the same back in the day.
"Anyway, you heard the price. 500,000 won. What you've got right now..."
"20,000 won."
"Right. 20,000. Even as charity, that's a loss—separate from what we'll get from that lawyer lady."
He pulled a Parkka soda from the table and cracked it open.
"Kid, if you had something to trade for cash... Ahh. Otherwise, no dice. Our business is 100% upfront payment."
"So what do I do?"
At my question, he flipped over one of the scattered papers on the table like he'd been waiting.
"Haa..."
I clutched my head with one hand and snatched the paper.
"'Contract,' huh."
"Yeah. Basically, work off the difference."
He glanced at his watch and waved his arm defensively.
"Whoa, not the weird stuff you're thinking! You know the fast-food joint by the terminal? That's Seok-pil's place. Work there till you cover the shortfall."
He chugged more soda like his throat was parched.
"Can't pay more than minimum wage. Eight hours a day. If you quit early, I'll prorate it."
I sank deeper into the chair. My veil, wrapped like a scarf, covered my nose.
"What about sleep? I don't even have a place to crash."
"Huh? Uh... talk to Seok-pil about that. He'll probably let you bunk at the shop if you sweet-talk him."
"Hoo..."
I squeezed my eyes shut.
"Puh. Puhuhu."
Ah, can't hold it anymore. I stifled the leaking laughter, pulling my veil tighter.
"Fine. No money, so I'll earn it. How long?"
"Minimum wage... about a week? I'm bad at math."
He peeked at his watch again. It was almost pitiful, so I hid my face behind the contract.
"Hey."
"Yeah?"
I lowered the contract to my nose bridge and glared.
"How many idiots have actually fallen for this?"
"...What?"
His face hardened. I grabbed both ends of the contract and ripped it the opposite way.
Riiip.
"Come on, how many suckers have you reeled in with this crap? Kids these days don't bite on stuff this obvious. This ain't the '80s."
"What the hell are you—"
"Why do you keep checking your watch?"
His movements froze for a split second.
"This is, uh, business—"
"Why? The drug should've kicked in by now, but I'm still awake? Weird, huh?"
"What bullshit are you spouting?!"
"Spiked the water? Tea bag? Oh, the paper cup residue? Switch it up. How were you gonna dose me if I didn't even take a sip?"
* * *
Kim Sang-ah instinctively clutched her bundle and scanned her surroundings.
"Um, is this really the right way?"
Following Seok-pil out of the office led deeper into darkening alleys. The kind where screams would go unheard.
"We're here."
Seok-pil glanced back, then opened a rusty iron door and went in.
What do I do?
Left alone in the alley, Sang-ah hesitated. Instinct screamed danger, but reason whispered otherwise. Skip this, and she'd have no way to Busan for her daughter. More wasted time in line.
"......Fine. The world's not that harsh yet."
Sang-ah took a deep breath, pulled a stun gun from her bundle, and followed.
Creeeak.
The heavy gray door opened to a small room. Across from Seok-pil sat a middle-aged man polishing his watch obsessively.
"What now?"
"Need a ring appraised."
Sang-ah bowed in relief to the man.
"Ring."
He held out his hand wordlessly. She placed the small ring on his thick palm.
"...Wedding ring?"
His voice rose. Sang-ah couldn't meet his eyes, just bowed her head deeper.
"Eh. Everyone's got a story these days."
He examined it silently—twirling it in the light, checking with tools—then picked it up again.
"Seok-pil. It's real."
"No way?"
Seok-pil perked up. Sang-ah fidgeted with her fingers.
"Uh, how much?"
"This? Hmm... 300,000?"
Her face twisted. Nothing else sellable left in the bundle.
The man smirked at her expression.
"Don't look so down. I'm in a good mood today—I'll bump it 50,000."
Grinning, he pulled cash from a safe. Seok-pil licked his fingers, counting the thirty-five King Sejong notes with a smirk.
"Thanks as always. Perfect fill."
"Yeah, really thanks. Exactly—"
Sang-ah froze. Dulled by a year of hardship, her top-lawyer instincts still blared alarms. Short 350,000, and it fills exactly 350,000? Coincidence?
As she patted her back pocket, the man approached with the ring.
Yup.
His thick hand reached for her. She readied her stun gun in her right hand.
Just as she prepared to zap any funny business—
"Why so scared?"
He lifted her left hand and slipped the ring on her ring finger.
"Huh?"
"What, surprised? It's a wedding ring. You don't sell those, no matter how broke."
Gruffly, he flicked the forehead of cash-counting Seok-pil.
"Hey, Dung-pil. Money grub or not, you don't steal married women's rings."
"Ow! Bro! Who knew she was married?!"
"Shut it."
Watching them bicker, Sang-ah sighed in relief. Yeah. World was dirty, tough—but not hopeless.
"Oh, right. Nice meeting you—fate and all. Park Ho-chul."
The man—Park Ho-chul—extended his right hand. She shook it with a smile. His thick hand was warm.
"Kim Sang-ah."
"Sang-ah. Pretty name."
Ho-chul gripped both her arms, met her eyes, and grinned.
* * *
The young man shot up from his seat. The door slammed open, and shoulders—thugs—slunk in.
"What the hell?! The drug's doing nothing!"
"Told you. This brat's sharp as hell."
"No way! Can't you see?! She definitely drank it!"
The last thug locked the door. I turned to check the darkly tinted window. Sure enough—bars outside, unbreakable even if shattered.
"Not gonna answer? Just curious how many you've whored out with this cheap trick."
"Listen to this punk."
The bald-headed thug clenched his fist, grinning.
"Hey. You don't even get what this situation is?"
"Why not? Lure girls, slip 'em sleepers, then rape 'em. Obvious."
My calm words twisted their faces.
"...Brat."
"Yeah?"
Baldy shoved the young man aside and sat across from me.
"Answer my question, and I'll answer yours. Mind's blown right now."
"I'd do a bunch if I could."
The thug snorted and beckoned the young man.
"How many including this brat?"
"...69 total, boss."
"Whoa. Impressive."
I was genuinely shocked.
"68 idiots fell for this retarded scam?"
"This punk's mouth..."
Ridiculous standoff, both sides baffled. I pointed at the outer door.
"That lawyer auntie in on it too?"
"Nah. She's getting eaten by Seok-pil and the others right... What am I saying? Hey."
Baldy rose from the sofa, vaulted the table. His breath hit my face.
"My turn. What're you banking on to act so cocky?"
"......."
I quietly raised a finger, igniting a flame above his face.
Whoosh.
Baldy jerked back in shock.
"This?"
A fireball spun around my finger. The thugs backed off a step, smirking at my flame.
"Huh?"
"That's your ace, huh?"
The thug whose eyebrow nearly singed bulked up. His already massive frame doubled, minions cheering.
"Boss! Go easy!"
"Don't break her arms like last time! Handjob from a high schooler is my dream!"
"Wooo!"
I shot a contemptuous glance at the young man drooling openly, then locked eyes with Baldy—now ceiling-high.
"Uh, time-out? Lemme think?"
"Too late, bitch."
His fist hurtled toward me.