Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Gu Hyun-seok
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Gu Hyun-seok.
Now thirty-five years old, he had plunged into the loan sharking business in his youth and spent the last ten years handling money.
If he had to pick one reason he had survived in this game for a decade, it would be his mastery of "pacing."
He knew his clients' limits all too well.
And he instinctively understood when to push them to the brink and when to leave just enough of an opening for them to keep paying diligently.
By skillfully pacing things like that, he had steadily lent money at exorbitant interest rates, building his wealth.
And right now, such a man was.
Unlike usual, gripped by anxiety as he tapped his fingers on the table.
Naturally, Gu Hyun-seok's "little brothers," who were seeing this side of him for the first time, approached him with worried faces.
"Big Brother, you okay?"
"Huh? What?"
At the words from the eldest of the brothers—the "First"—Gu Hyun-seok snapped out of it and looked up.
First opened his mouth again, as if to check if he was really fine.
"You've seemed a bit... on edge since you got back from outside earlier."
"On edge? Nah, just pissed off."
On edge?
Gu Hyun-seok lowered his hand from the table without realizing it.
Honestly... yeah, he was on edge.
Scared shitless.
No way around it.
His ex-girlfriend from before had borrowed money when they broke up.
Given his line of work, he hadn't hesitated much to lend it.
He'd heard stories about her husband, so he figured she could pay back whatever amount.
Her husband had pulled off some scam worth tens of billions or something.
She said she'd pay it back diligently herself, but if she really couldn't, they could just collect from the guy.
That day, for some reason, unlike usual, he'd thought it over simply and lent it out.
A whopping five million.
But this crazy bitch had let that five million melt away over two years.
She hadn't paid back a single penny of the principal.
Sure, she paid interest now and then... but in two years, that totaled one million.
Not even enough to cover the interest—what was she planning?
He'd cut her slack multiple times, but realizing it might turn into a straight loss, he'd gotten serious about it six months ago.
He'd sent his brothers over several times and tried to collect continuously.
But all she said was she was trying to contact her husband—no money came in.
In the end, what could he do?
Whether he'd been possessed by a ghost that day or whatever, a loan was a loan, and payback was payback.
People only cough up the cash when real threats loom.
Gu Hyun-seok trusted his instincts: it was time to push her to the limit.
The only reason he hadn't brought his brothers along was a last shred of courtesy toward his ex.
"Should've brought them after all."
Then someone would've stopped him.
He'd gone alone, lost his temper, and ended up hitting not just her but the kid too.
The kid had wailed like crazy, which was already driving him nuts, and then Kim A-young had lit the fuse.
Screaming she couldn't pay, charging at him like he was murdering her after he'd just yelled at the kid a few times—what the hell was he supposed to do?
He'd hit Kim A-young too, and in the heat of the moment, smacked the kid as well.
He swore he hadn't known kids were that fragile.
On that final swing of his fist, Gu Hyun-seok had sensed something was wrong.
Crack.
An oddly unpleasant sensation in his hand.
And the kid, who had been screaming her lungs out, went dead silent in an instant.
Kim A-young's eyes had rolled back as she lunged at him.
Gu Hyun-seok couldn't even fend off her flying fists and bolted out.
"That little brat... she's not actually dead, is she?"
No way someone dies that easily.
As he thought that, Second, who was standing next to First, spoke up.
"Pissed off? Who messed with you to get you like that?"
"Ah, just the situation."
His head was already a mess, and with his brothers keep yapping, Gu Hyun-seok waved them off irritably.
They were usually great for jokes and hanging out, but right now, he wished they'd shut up.
"No other business or anything, right?"
"Business? What business."
"Well... then how about we wrap up early today and go blow off some steam? Heh heh."
After his curt reply, Second grinned lewdly.
Gu Hyun-seok furrowed his brow.
Did that punk have something other than brains in his skull?
Luckily, before he could say anything, First stepped in.
"Hey, you know Big Brother doesn't go to places like that?"
"Yeah, I know, but honestly, I don't get it. How can a sparrow pass by a mill?"
"Hey, you... Big Brother has his tastes, that's all."
At Second's words, First glanced at Gu Hyun-seok and added.
At the word "tastes," Second's expression turned even sleazier.
He looked at Gu Hyun-seok with a playful face and tossed out a sly question in a low voice.
"Tastes?"
"Y'know, he doesn't even glance at the mill, but he can't pass by a sparrow's nest full of eggs."
"Ah...!"
Second reacted with exaggerated enlightenment at First's answer.
That was it—Gu Hyun-seok's irritation exploded.
"Shut the fuck up, you punks! All of you, zip it."
"Whoa, Big Brother. Just say the word. Then I'll set something up that's totally out of this wor—"
Second chuckled as he spat curses, but his words cut off before he finished.
Ring ring.
The phone rang.
Gu Hyun-seok flinched at the sudden ring.
"Fuck, did that bitch report me?"
If the kid was really dead, she might've called the cops.
He'd thought if she wasn't, with her husband's mess and not knowing what they'd do, she wouldn't go that far.
Was that too naive?
He steeled himself to bolt if needed and cautiously answered.
"Yes, hello?"
—Oh, hello. Sir.
The moment he heard the voice on the other end.
Gu Hyun-seok felt his tension melt away.
It was the usual voice.
The kind desperate people make when life's backed them into a corner and they're begging for money.
Sure enough, at the plea to borrow money, Gu Hyun-seok smirked.
Yeah, that's more like it.
No way that bitch would report him.
Anxiety crept up in his chest, but he pushed it down.
Pathetically, he was "pacing" himself even now.
If she'd charged at him that hard over just roughing up the kid a bit, she'd have gone berserk if the kid was really dead.
He was ignoring those risks before pushing her to the brink.
And before he realized that choice would be his worst mistake.
Ding-a-ling.
The office door opened.
* * *
The stench of stale cigarettes hit him the moment he opened the office door.
A quick glance made it clear they'd been smoking inside the building.
"Hello..."
Lee Jae-hyun dipped his head slightly as he entered, and the four guys working the front eyed them before standing up.
"What brings you here?"
"I just called a minute ago..."
Before Lee Jae-hyun could answer one of the men's questions.
Someone from beside him cut in.
"Oh, come on in. You got here quick."
Three men emerged from the back, greeting Lee Jae-hyun.
Lee Jae-hyun bowed politely and spoke.
"I was right nearby..."
"And who's the guy next to you?"
The man in the center glanced at Park Dae-hyung standing beside Lee Jae-hyun.
He seemed more wary of Park Dae-hyung than Lee Jae-hyun.
'With a face like that, can't blame him.'
To loan sharks, it was a familiar mug.
Like the colleagues you always see when you turn your head—easy to mistake for someone in the same line of work and get on guard.
Lee Jae-hyun spoke calmly.
"He's a brother I know. First time at a place like this, so I asked him to come along."
"Oh, a brother? We're not those scary types, ha ha."
The loan shark chuckled, then gestured to his room and said.
"Let's talk in my office."
"Yeah, sure."
Lee Jae-hyun didn't play hard to get.
Acting just naive enough would make them pounce, thinking he was perfect.
Of course, he didn't forget to scope out the office.
Seven burly guys total.
Six besides the boss-looking loan shark, and even the boss didn't seem useless in a fight.
Seven against two—doable.
Though what Park Dae-hyung was thinking was anyone's guess.
Lee Jae-hyun readied himself to move if needed and stepped into the small room.
A long table and two sofas caught his eye first.
Along with the ashtray on the table.
No-smoking zone, yet blatantly out in the open—Lee Jae-hyun furrowed his brow briefly before smoothing his face and sitting.
"So... sir, what brings you to borrow money?"
"My little sister's sick."
When asked why he needed money, Lee Jae-hyun answered right away.
No hesitation seemed best, and in that instant, Serhen popped into his mind, so "little sister" came out naturally.
"Your little sister's sick, huh... So you need surgery money?"
"Yeah, surgery's eight hundred. No insurance coverage... Driving me crazy."
"Aw, must be tough. But what kind of illness costs eight hundred for surgery?"
"Heart problems. She was healthy before, but suddenly..."
Lee Jae-hyun trailed off vaguely and lowered his head.
He'd just planned to bullsh*t something about hospital bills since they asked—how was he supposed to know what surgery costs eight million won?
Luckily, the loan shark didn't find his behavior suspicious.
For loan sharks, how you'd pay back mattered more than why you needed it.
"Then, sir, have you ever done small payments or anything like that?"
"Small payments? No, just borrowed from the bank before, nothing else."
Lee Jae-hyun paused at "small payments" and shook his head.
Normal folks had smartphones.
And you could do monthly postpaid billing for fixed amounts on them.
Like a low-limit credit card.
Everyone in the money game knew it.
Even desperate folks hunting for ways to get cash knew about it to some degree.
The loan shark chuckled at Lee Jae-hyun's clueless reaction.
The less tainted, the higher the chance they'd pay on time.
Even if not themselves, poke around friends or institutions and holes appear—so untouched ones made prime customers.
"Then, sir, could I see your ID? We'll check your possible limit and let you know."
"Ah, yeah."
At the loan shark's words, Lee Jae-hyun nodded and rummaged in his pocket.
As he did, he looked at the loan shark and asked.
"But, uh, what's your name?"
The loan shark blinked at Lee Jae-hyun's question, then laughed.
"Oh, I'm Gu Hyun-seok. Haven't even introduced myself, ha ha."
"Gu Hyun-seok, huh."
Lee Jae-hyun smiled, pulled out his ID from his pocket, and placed it on the table.
Gu Hyun-seok's eyes darted to the ID on the table and twitched.
"You're him, aren't you."
Lee Jae-hyun said, staring into Gu Hyun-seok's trembling eyes.