The Beginning of Depravity (7)
In the end, Seonghwan left an hour early, fueled by the boss's fiery encouragement, and boldly hailed a taxi straight to Incheon.
The boss had gotten even more worked up than Seonghwan at the mention that Yesul might have been assaulted, insisting they call the police right away. But Seonghwan calmed him down by saying he needed to see things with his own eyes first.
'Seonghwan, you must be broke right now. Take this and grab a cab. Incheon, right? Hurry before it's too late.'
He couldn't forget the boss's blazing eyes as he forced 100,000 won into Seonghwan's hand.
'Boss, I'll repay this kindness by breaking that bastard Yunsu's legs.'
His resolve was set, but confirming the situation himself came first. When he'd first gotten Yesul's call, he'd lost it and blurted out the word "rape" to the boss without thinking. Now that he'd regained some rationality, though, he wondered if judging Yunsu so hastily was a mistake. Still, as the taxi sped along, he kept calling Yunsu—no answer. That gnawing anxiety wouldn't let up.
'First things first, I'll check it out. If... the worst turns out to be true...'
Seonghwan's grip tightened on his bag.
Before starting his shift, Seonghwan pulled up the message Yunsu had sent with photos of the pool villa's location, exterior, and layout.
'This is the place?'
The building before him looked nothing like the glamorous, flashy one in the pictures.
'What the hell? Why's it so rundown? Do they photoshop buildings these days too?'
The seaside view matched the photos pretty well, but the structure itself was depressingly shabby—way worse than expected.
'Not the time. Let's see... Room 103!'
Double-checking the message, Seonghwan took a deep breath and headed to what he figured was Yunsu and Yesul's room.
'Here it is!'
He found it, took another deep breath, steeled his face, and rang the doorbell.
Ding-dong.
No response even after waiting. Seonghwan's impatience surged.
'Fuck. Why no answer?'
Ding-dong. Ding-dong.
As he stamped his feet in growing frustration, a familiar voice came from behind.
"Huh? What are you doing here?"
Seonghwan whipped around. Yunsu stood there, bewildered, holding a long mop stick and staring at him.
"Whoa. I'm so shocked I can't even speak. Surprise visit? What's up with that?"
Seonghwan's head throbbed at Yunsu's cheeky grin. He exploded.
"You fucker! What the hell have you been doing?! Spit it out straight! You know I've bulked up from all the part-time labor, right? Where's Yesul?!"
Startled by the yell, Yunsu glanced around, flustered, then scowled back.
"You crazy bastard. Showing up out of nowhere and flipping out. And why the fuck are you looking for Yesul all of a sudden? She's been throwing a fit, and I'm dying here."
"...What?"
"Ugh, embarrassing. Hope no one heard. Shut up and come in."
Yunsu brushed past, swiped his keycard, opened the door, and yelled back.
"Hurry up!"
Dazed, Seonghwan followed. Inside was a disaster zone.
'What... the fuck? What did they do on vacation?'
Side dishes littered the living room floor—kimchi mixed in, red broth splattered everywhere. Shards of broken glass were hastily piled in one corner. Board games Yunsu must have brought were scattered amid the mess. And there was Yesul, passed out on the sofa under a blanket, snoring softly like she was deep in dreamland.
"What the hell did you two do?"
Stunned, Seonghwan asked. Yunsu scratched his head, voice laced with irritation.
"Yesul got drunk, started bawling and smashing shit. Fuck. I was shocked too... Let's clean up."
'Clean? Who? You? Me?'
The scene was so far from what he'd imagined that Seonghwan was dumbfounded. Yunsu's casual cleanup request made no sense. He just stared.
Yunsu grabbed a rag, shoved it into Seonghwan's hand, and grinned.
"Whoa, I forgot to say hi properly. Seriously, seeing you is awesome, man. Better than that surprise visit when I was in the army. So help a buddy out."
Seonghwan blankly watched Yunsu turn away with a satisfied smile, rag in hand, heading to the kitchen.
He glanced at his rag, then at Yesul on the sofa, then at Yunsu sorting dishes.
'These... bastards set me up on purpose...?'
Seonghwan couldn't shake the feeling he'd been played.
"Phew... Looks decent now, right?"
"Shut up, you prick."
"Hey, hey. Since it's like this, think of it as helping a friend out of the goodness of your heart."
Seonghwan irritably tossed the rag into the bucket and glared at Yunsu's smirk.
"Acting like I just dropped by for drinks? Do you know how much the cab from here cost, fucker?"
"Ah, fine, asshole. I'll cover your meals for the next week."
"Shut it. So why the fuck weren't you picking up?"
"Picking up? You called me? Hmm... Yeah, doesn't make sense you'd rush here out of nowhere."
Yunsu picked up his phone from the table corner and showed Seonghwan.
"See? On silent. Turned it off so it wouldn't kill the vibe with Yesul. You probably called while I was scrubbing broth stains off the carpet and curtains."
"Whoa. You really planned this shit out."
"Shh, fuck. What if Yesul hears?"
"She's out cold. But seriously, how hammered is she to pass out like that?"
Even as Seonghwan wrung out the rag and sorted trash, that bugged him most. He'd drunk with Yesul plenty—alone, even, while Yunsu was enlisted. She wasn't a lightweight, but she never trashed places like this.
"Fuck if I know. We shopped at the mart, grilled meat, cooked stew—finished around 6:10. Ate like maniacs, then she suddenly wants to hit the pool. Sounded good to me, so we went. Nothing sexier than a late-night dip with your girl, right?"
"Your sexy time's none of my business. But how'd she end up like that in such a short window? She called me sobbing around 9:10. An hour to get blackout?"
Yunsu shook an empty bottle from the table, exasperated.
"You think I get it? I just handed her wine to set the mood before the pool. See this? Most expensive at the mart. Who knew she'd go nuts for it? Bought two just in case, and she downed 'em solo."
"Holy shit..."
Seonghwan had drunk with her, but only soju or beer. Two bottles of soju left her fine; two of wine flattening her? Unthinkable.
"That's not wine, you bought vodka by mistake."
But the bottle smelled richly of grapes.
"So why'd she call me crying?"
"Beats me. Didn't even know she called you. First time seeing her smash and crash like that. You probably never have either. I was panicking, no clue what to do."
Seonghwan, who'd been inwardly raging at Yunsu on the way, now pitied him.
'Of all days, she picks today for her epic meltdown. Poor guy.'
"Dude, a real friend rushes over when you ghost calls and his girl's crying? Lucky to have me."
Yunsu grinned and thumbs-upped, but Seonghwan looked away.
'Can't say I came to snap your legs. Fuck, embarrassing. And that cab money hurts.'
The 50,000+ won fare stung. He poured soju into a glass.
"Since it's like this, cheers to my wasted cash. Oh, wait—you said no sleepovers?"
"Lucky break. Dad's on a business trip out of town. Mom let it slide this once."
"Sweet."
They clinked glasses and drank.
"Ahh... Hits the spot. Been ages since just us two."
"Yeah. Never thought it'd be pool villa vibes."
"So, whaddya think? Exterior's meh—I was bummed too—but inside's cozy. Owner's nice. Nice, right?"
"Hmm..."
It was tidy and upscale, belying the old exterior. Cleaned with care, big indoor pool in a prime sea-view spot.
"Not bad. Honestly, pulling up, I half-thought you got scammed into organ harvesting."
"Pfft, fair. Pool's solid though? Yesul bolted there post-dinner."
Seonghwan glanced at Yesul—bare skin peeking from the blanket, probably in a swimsuit.
Yunsu leaned in slyly.
"Wanna swim? Deep enough to actually stroke."
"Where's my suit?"
"Brought extras. You're taller, but waist's same."
"Hmm..."
The pool gleamed invitingly. Exhausted from the day, Seonghwan was tempted but pushed it down.
'Even as a third wheel, no need to splash in their lovey-dovey pool like a loser.'
"Nah. Not big on swimming."
"Not big? It's beer-level shallow—comes to your chest."
Seonghwan pointed to his chest quietly at Yunsu's confusion.
"Trauma. Heart."
"Heart? Oh, right—surgery as a kid."
Valve surgery at 8; got him exempt from service.
"Isn't it cured? Can't even handle that?"
"Not just heart. Stopped breathing at the beach once. Water phobia too."
"Cardiac arrest?!"
Yunsu gawked. Seonghwan seemed normal—basketball, running fine—but water trauma? New.
"High school, before you knew. Wild, huh?"
They'd met freshman year, instant besties sharing everything.
"Middle school. Visited aunt in Busan—near Gyeongpo Beach. She watched me and bro during break. Drowned swimming; heart stopped. Ambulance chaos, from what I hear."
"Wait, you don't remember?"
"Whole chunk gone. Brain starved during arrest—months wiped."
"Months? Whoa, that happens?"
"Ask my doctor self. Bro filled me in."
"From when to when? Just around it?"
"Hmm..."
Seonghwan tried recalling. Only bro's hospital bedside words.
'Dude, blacked out from the trip? Don't remember why? Brain scan time? Dad's business mess had aunt minding us all break. You pestered her day one.'
Just guesses. No memories.
"Dunno details. Dad's biz trouble; aunt took us in, hung out. She was settling in Busan, travel guide gig—busy. But zilch in my head."
"Fucking wild. She must've freaked."
"Pale as ghost rushing over."
"Tough aunt. Taking you two? Dual-income, no time."
"Dual?"
Seonghwan blinked. Yunsu frowned back.
"Middle school you— she was adult, married, right? Working, so working couple?"
Seonghwan chuckled.
"Pfft. Our aunt's way younger than Mom. Baby sis. Twelve years older than me—35 now. Twentysomething hottie then."
"Like an older sis?"
"Yeah. Probably single still. Haven't heard wedding bells."
"Standards too high? World chill on age, but divorcees await."
"Hah! See her, you'd shut up."
Seonghwan laughed hard.
"Baby aunt's gorgeous. Know actress Seong Eun-ha? Filmed near her uni; stood next to her by chance. Folks thought she was the manager. 'New star?' buzz everywhere. Think time dulled that?"
"Mommy's boy or aunt simp? Bullshit."
Seonghwan bristled.
"Don't believe me? Fuck, judge genes by my face, big mistake."
"Know you're the ugly family duck. But Eun-ha level? Sure."
Top actress, two blockbusters, endless endorsements, ageless fame. Yunsu was intrigued yet skeptical at such beauty from Seonghwan's side.
"Describe her. Pic?"
"A decade no-see—no pics."
"Then what? Like which celeb?"
Irked, Seonghwan geared up to approximate.
But...
'Huh? What?'
Face hardened.
'No memory...?'
Beauty etched in nerves, sure. But face? Blank.
'Too long ago? Fragments... beautiful... stunning? No, ecstatic... ecstatic...?'
Head tilt at the odd word. Deeper thought.
'What the hell...?'