The Joint Surety
The debt collection texts and letters had clearly taken their toll. Today, Min Arin looked even more pathetic than usual.
Sure enough, the office was already in chaos the moment I arrived.
"Why is Team Leader Min even more unhinged today?"
"No idea...! Is it that time of the month? Shouldn't be yet, right?"
People whispering by the water cooler.
The seat of power didn't stay empty for long.
"Ah, fuck—!"
Min Arin burst out of the team leader's office, cursing loudly.
Bang!
"Choi Byeong, no. Choi Intern. Did you actually do what I told you to yesterday?!"
The second she spotted me, she pointed an accusing finger and screamed.
"Huh...? Intern, you did that...?"
I was about to respond when Lee Yu-jin spoke up first.
"That explains the shitshow."
"It's not that... There wasn't really anything to fix? You even prepared the draft for today's approval documents..."
Min Arin's gaze flicked between me and Yu-jin before settling on me.
Handling the pathetic workload of a joke like this company was child's play.
"Ahaha, it was all thanks to your guidance, Team Leader. What would I know?"
I added the words with a sheepish grin, watching her stony expression.
"......"
She simply glared at me in silence.
Even though I'd handled everything without a hitch, she couldn't swallow her rage.
The important thing wasn't the work itself.
"Intern Choi. Come to my office."
She just needed a punching bag, after all.
And that was exactly what I wanted.
Click.
"You little shit. You just fucked me over on purpose, didn't you?"
The moment I followed her into the team leader's office, she rounded on me.
"Pardon? I didn't..."
My eyes weren't on Min Arin's face. They were fixed on the chaotic desk behind her.
There, torn to shreds and scattered across the table, lay the seizure warning notice from 'my company.'
"You made me look like an idiot in front of everyone by acting like I don't know how this place runs, right?"
She stepped right up to me, pressing down on my shoulder to force my gaze lower.
"I didn't mean to..."
Squeeze.
My clumsy answer must have pissed her off, because she grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked my head up.
"You pathetic little dickhead. I told you to look at someone when they're talking to you, didn't I?"
Now at eye level, Min Arin stared daggers at me and lowered her voice.
"Yesterday you told me not to make eye contact..."
"...You wanna test me? Should I remind you of the old days?"
"I'm sor—"
Slap—!
My head snapped to the side.
A stinging pain bloomed across my cheek, followed by burning heat.
My glasses flew off and clattered across the floor.
Before I could even touch my slapped cheek, she grabbed my hair again.
"Ha... This bastard's gotten fucking huge, hasn't he?"
"......"
I was supposed to feel bad, but keeping a straight face was difficult.
I barely managed to suppress the smirk that kept trying to creep up.
While I was lost in those thoughts—
Splash.
Min Arin tilted the water cup on her desk and dumped its contents onto the floor.
"Clean it up."
At the same time, the tip of her shoe kicked the wet patch.
Water splashed onto my clothes near my face.
There was no reason to talk back, so I pulled down my sleeve and bent at the waist.
"With your tongue, you idiot. Lick it up and drink it, you worthless prick."
The familiar line came back.
Even after all these years—long enough that I should have forgotten—those memories remained cruelly vivid.
* * *
"Ah, you fucking idiot! It all splashed on me!"
"Retard, you just dodge like this."
After gym class, Lee Jeong-hyeok and his gang were, as always, fooling around by the drinking fountain.
They'd dragged me over for no reason and kept me there.
"But what about the floor? The teachers are gonna lose their shit again."
"There's a mop over there."
Since there were plenty of bastards like them, a large mop was always leaning right next to the fountain.
"Mop? Oh, that thing?"
But their eyes were all on me.
"H-huh...?"
"What the hell are you stuttering for? Braindead? I said clean it."
Back then, no matter what they ordered, my body moved before my brain could catch up.
I'd get beaten either way, but it was better to reduce ten hits to nine.
The moment I went to grab the mop—
Crack!
Lee Jeong-hyeok deliberately snapped the mop handle in half right in front of me.
"Oops. It's broken now. What are we gonna do?"
Then one of his lackeys kicked the back of my knee, sending me sprawling.
Flat on the ground, I couldn't even look up at them. I just kept my head pressed to the floor.
"I-it's fine...! I can wipe it with my clothes...!"
The second I frantically tried to take off my school jacket—
"Why are you using your mouth for that?"
"Huh...?"
"Hey, Byeong-sik. Even right now, people in faraway countries are dying because they don't have clean water. You're gonna waste perfectly good drinking water by wiping it with your clothes? It's potable, you know?"
One of the gang grabbed the back of my neck, pinning me down as he sneered.
"Lick it up with your tongue. Drink it, you little shit."
The mocking laughter poured down on me from above.
Kids walking down the hallway turned their heads away, but they still snickered as they passed.
In that moment of utter humiliation, I—who had always been the tragic protagonist—did exactly as I was told.
Sluuuuurp.
Just like always.
* * *
"What are you doing? Haven't had enough yet?"
Just like back then, Min Arin was pressing down on the back of my neck.
I could have pushed her off with force, but why bother?
She needed to fall from much higher than this—not just above my head, but from somewhere far beyond.
Thud.
Once I let go, my mind felt strangely lighter too.
Feeling the moisture reach the tip of my nose, I slowly stuck out my tongue.
"That's right. If you're a retard, act like one. Just because your head's gotten a little bigger doesn't mean you can forget where you came from. More. More, you fucker!"
*
"We've arrived, sir."
The commute home after another pointless struggle.
I must have dozed off at some point.
The chauffeur opened the rear door and gently woke me.
"Ah, thank you."
He naturally bowed at the waist.
I unbuckled my seatbelt while checking my phone.
> Sponsorship briefing for Min Arin has been completed. As expected, she has requested an immediate meeting today. Would 9 PM work for you? If so, I will reserve sow n reap in Cheongdam-dong.
The fact that she didn't hesitate meant Lee Jeong-hyeok was clearly avoiding her calls.
Which also meant the company's finances were in complete shambles.
> Understood. Please prepare the contract as well.
Things were progressing far too smoothly. Almost boring.
"Ah, I need to stop somewhere first. Is that alright? Sorry for keeping you after hours."
"Not at all, sir. No problem."
Watching the chauffeur bow once more, I pulled out my wallet.
"No, really. This is nothing."
"I told you, didn't I?"
I only had three hundred thousand won in cash, but I forced the bills into the driver's hand as he tried to step back with his hands behind him.
"Don't give favors without expecting something in return."
"But your salary is already more than generous..."
"It means I expect something from you too. I'll just change my clothes and be right back."
The moment I stepped inside, I roughly stripped off the cheap suit and took out the one I only wore when meeting 'important people' from the dressing room.
I chose the most expensive watch.
It didn't quite match the current suit, but making Min Arin's eyes roll back in her head came first.
And most importantly—
"Ah, ah. Aa—"
The head mask.
As I zipped up the fabric that covered my entire head, a distorted voice leaked out from beneath it.
I still needed to hide that I was both Choi Byeong-sik and Choi In-uk.
Min Arin was still far too low to be introduced to the real me.
*
A private bar that operated strictly by reservation, one slot per hour.
The bartender and I were the only ones here. Even with me wearing a mask, his professional demeanor didn't waver.
The only sound in the empty space was the soft clink of ice swirling in an on-the-rocks glass.
Whirr.
Then came the sound of the automatic door opening in the distance.
Min Arin flinched visibly when she saw my face, but quickly composed herself and approached slowly.
A cheap party dress that looked no different from what hookers wore to clubs.
A bag that was only designer on the surface—pure cost-performance garbage.
Even the way the fake jewels on it clattered with every step.
It was different from how she'd looked during the day, but it still didn't rise above her pathetic level.
"What... is that mask for...?"
Min Arin sat down beside me, trying to act confident, but her trembling voice gave her away.
"Does that matter?"
"Wh-why does your voice sound like..."
I slid a drink toward the startled woman and pulled a pen and contract from my inner pocket.
"Just read it and sign."
Creditor and Sponsor: Representative of Taesan Capital (hereinafter 'Party A')
Debtor and Sponsored Party: Min Arin, Marketing Team Leader of JK Commerce (hereinafter 'Party B')
Article 1 (Deferral of Debt and Support)
1. Party A shall take over all claims totaling 4.2 billion KRW in principal and interest arising from Party B's joint surety provided for a third party (Lee Jeong-hyeok and JK Commerce).
2. For the duration this contract remains in effect, Party A shall fully suspend all compulsory seizure and execution against Party B's personal assets and salary, and shall provide an allowance for the maintenance of Party B's dignity.
"The part about providing an allowance for the maintenance of dignity..."
"It means I'll give you money. Money. You don't want it? Should I remove the clause?"
"N-no...!"
At the question of whether she didn't want it, Min Arin frantically clutched the contract as if she might tear it.
Article 2 (Constant Standby and Duty of Good Faith)
1. In return for this contract, Party B must respond at all times to any private summons issued by Party A at the designated time and place.
"I'm a working professional, so constant standby..."
"Between me, the company representative, and you, the so-called team leader of a pathetic shell of a company—who do you think is busier?"
"......"
Min Arin quietly lowered her eyes back to the contract.
Article 3 (Exemption from Liability for Entertainment Activities and Scope of Acceptance)
1. Even if Party B experiences subjective damage to her dignity during the process of 'private direction and entertainment' for Party A's amusement, Party B may not claim this as coercion or breach of contract.
2. Party B may not exercise any right of refusal regarding any form of instruction or direction provided by Party A. Any attempt to evade using physical or mental rejection as an excuse will immediately trigger the penalty clause in Article 4.
Article 4 (Penalty and Immediate Enforcement Recommendation)
1. If Party B violates even a single clause of this contract or displays a passive attitude, this contract shall be immediately terminated.
2. Upon termination, all dignity maintenance allowances paid under this contract shall be immediately confiscated and forcibly recovered. The 4.2 billion KRW in deferred principal and interest that Party A has subrogated shall have the maximum statutory late payment interest (20% per annum) applied retroactively for the entire deferral period and claimed accordingly.
"...The manager said it would just be like going on dates..."
"Calling it a date feels a bit much. I can't be seen walking around in broad daylight with someone like you."
At my words, Min Arin clenched her teeth.
"Then... does that mean we'd have to sleep together or..."
Instead of answering, I slightly lifted my mask and took a sip.
"I-I have a really severe case of mysophobia...! It's true! I haven't even kissed my boyfriend— I mean, my ex-boyfriend yet... really..."
"I know."
"Huh...? How...?"
Min Arin's not-so-secret secret.
That so-called 'mysophobia'—I wasn't even sure if it was real.
"Did you really think I'd take over a 4.2 billion KRW claim without running a background check on the joint surety? You think there's anything about you I don't know?"
I'd accidentally let on that I knew too much, so I deliberately laced my voice with irritation.
"So. Are you going to sign it, or not?"
"Well..."
I snatched the contract from Min Arin's still-hesitant hands.
"If you're just going to waste my time, then get lost. With this much money, I could keep ten women better than you as mistresses."
"......"
"Getting tricked by some pathetic bastard into signing a joint surety. I felt bad for you and thought I'd help. Forget it. Get out. Just sitting next to you is ruining the taste of my drink with that cheap perfume smell."
Whoosh!
Before I could even finish speaking, Min Arin snatched the contract back from my hand.
Then she frantically scribbled her signature on the line.
"H-here...! I'll do it! I'll do it...!"
"......"
"Please...!"
Watching her cry out in desperation, I signed the remaining space instead of answering.
"Good. The contract is now in effect."
The moment I slipped the contract back into my inner pocket—
Splash.
I poured the remaining liquor from my glass straight onto the floor.
"It's a celebratory drink. Drink it."
"......Pardon?"
Her eyes shook with confusion.
Looking at her, I felt more frustration than pity.
"Three."
"No..."
"Two."
"R-Representative, this is a bit..."
"One."
Slap—!
"......?!"
I slapped her cheek so hard my own palm stung.
Exactly the same way this bitch had slapped me in that cramped team leader's office just a few hours earlier.
"Who told you to talk back?"
"Ah...?"
Min Arin clutched her swelling cheek with both hands.
I added one more line right to her face.
"Once you've signed a contract, act like it. Either close your eyes and drink it, or spend the rest of your life trying to sell that cheap body of yours and still die buried in debt you'll never repay."
Screeech.
"......"
The chair slowly slid backward.
Min Arin's hips lifted off the cushion.