Just Sex, No Experiment
“Sir, someone's here to see you.”
“Hm?”
“Says he's an old classmate from high school...”
Ban Seok, who had been holding a gym membership meeting, turned toward the entrance.
His hands dropped limply to his sides.
A haggard face, hair that looked like it hadn't been washed in who knew how long. A scraggly beard, and a worn-out winter coat that seemed like it would stink if you got close enough.
It was Kang Jae-hoon.
When he poured hot water into a paper cup, the smell of instant coffee mix rose up.
The two men sat facing each other in the head coach's office.
“What brings you here?”
Ban Seok asked.
Kang Jae-hoon snorted a laugh.
“And here you were the guy always obsessed with keeping his body in shape. Kkeueueueu. You drink this stuff now?”
Every time he breathed, a strange rasping sound came out of his throat, as if he couldn't draw air properly.
Ban Seok stirred his coffee with the torn corner of the mix packet.
“You quit the construction work? What happened to you? And what's wrong with your voice?”
Kang Jae-hoon was silent for a moment.
Ban Seok took a sip of the coffee.
Kang Jae-hoon finally spoke.
“Lee Han-seok.”
At the name, Ban Seok's eyes trembled.
“Lee Han-seok, kkeueueueu. He's shown up.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Exactly what it sounds like. Kkeueuu. That bastard sent people after me. Kkeueueueu. Had me beaten.”
He looked like a man with something broken somewhere inside his body. That strange sound scraped out of his throat with every breath.
“Have you been to a hospital? The police?”
“The hospital, kkeueuu. Those quacks. Said it can't be cured. And even if I'd gone to the police, kkeueueueu, they wouldn't believe me. No CCTVs around.”
“Can you still work?”
“My body still moves. Kkeueuu. But they somehow know where I am, kkeueueueu. Han-seok's guys show up, watch me the whole time I'm working, then drag me off and beat me half to death again.
Kkeueueueu. I'm in danger, Seok-ah.”
“How does a rotten rope like you find your way to anyone? Have you tried contacting the others?”
At Ban Seok's words, Kang Jae-hoon let out a hollow laugh.
“You think they'd take my call? Kkeueuu.”
Kang Jae-hoon, the mad dog who had once done insane things no one else would even dare contemplate as if they were nothing, had become useless to the crew the moment they all entered society.
He'd been cut off a long time ago.
Ban Seok said,
“You want me to reach out? To who? Don't tell me Sung-chul? Or Min-jun? They'd take your call, all right.”
“Jong-man. Kkeueuu. Couldn't you at least try Jong-man?”
Ban Seok let out a sigh.
“Look. I'm in the same boat as you. Nobody's been able to reach me since my athletic career ended either.
Han Dong-jin was the only bridge between us and the guys at the top, and even he must be busy these days because he doesn't answer.
And it's not like Jong-man has any real power like Min-jun or Sung-chul. He's just an executive at a law firm. There's nothing he can do for you.
You'd be lucky if he gave you ten thousand won and told you to go buy yourself a bowl of gukbap.”
“Jong-man could sue Han-seok for me, couldn't he? Kkeuu. Leave things as they are, and Han-seok's going to become a threat to him anyway.”
Kang Jae-hoon said.
“You just said there's no evidence. Then he can't help you either.
If you could prove you got beaten by Han-seok's hired men, maybe if you went to Jong-man's firm they'd take the case.”
At Ban Seok's words, Kang Jae-hoon gave a dry, rasping chuckle.
“If I had evidence, kkeueueueu, I'd already be dead.”
“I get that you came because you need help, but I'm in no position to give it.”
“I didn't come here looking for help. Kkeueueueu. I came to warn you.
Han-seok... he's coming for you too.”
Ban Seok scratched his forehead and sighed.
“Can't say I blame him, honestly.”
“What are you going to do? Kkeueuu.”
“To tell you the truth... I get why he's doing it. Revenge and all.
I beat Han-seok plenty.
And that girl who used to be close with him—”
Kang Jae-hoon cut him off.
“You had the fucking time of your lives back then, and now, kkeueuu. What, you thinking of joining Hyun-woo's church these days?”
“I've actually been thinking I should try a church. I'm headed for hell either way.
I don't have much time left. To live, I mean.”
Kang Jae-hoon raised his head.
Ban Seok swirled the paper cup of coffee around for a moment before continuing.
“It's a disease that kills you as your body seizes up. It's not ALS, but something like it. Either way, they say I have less than a year.
One of my legs already won't listen to me.”
“Kkeueueueu. That's dog shit.”
“I'm being punished, that's all.”
“There's no kkeueueueu. Treatment?”
“They say BD200 cures it fifty percent of the time.
Not BD40—BD200. And even then, it's a coin flip.
Which basically means: go die.”
“Does your family know? You said you have a daughter too, right? Kkeueuu.”
“She knows. Do-ah's the one who noticed the symptoms in the first place.”
For the first time, Ban Seok's expression changed significantly. He smiled as he spoke.
“Your daughter?”
“Yeah. You said you had a daughter too, didn't you?”
“Kkeuu. That little bitch ran away from home. Doesn't even know her dad's like this. Kkeueueueu.”
“I think she was a year younger than Do-ah. That'd make her an adult by now, wouldn't it? Stop calling it running away—she moved out on her own.”
“Shut the fuck up. Hey. Can I, kkeueuu. Can I use your shower?”
Ban Seok let out a sigh.
“Go ahead.”
Knock knock.
A knock sounded at the door.
“Yeah.”
At Ban Seok's answer, the office door opened.
A head peeked through the gap.
“Dad! I'm here!”
A cute face that suited its short haircut smiled brightly.
Through the crack in the door, he could make out a fitted turtleneck and jeans hugging her body.
Kang Jae-hoon wet his lips with his tongue.
Ban Seok's daughter had a cute face—and, even at a glance, a body that was downright indecent.
She turned her eyes to the guest who looked like a homeless man.
“Oh—your daughter's here? Dad's got a visitor.”
“Hello, sir. Dad, I'm going to get a quick workout in before I head home.”
Ban Do-ah gave Kang Jae-hoon a polite nod and pulled the door shut behind her.
Ban Seok said,
“She grew up fast because of me. She says she's here to work out, but really she cleans the gym before she leaves.”
“When did she, kkeueuu, get so grown? I think I saw her once when she was a baby.”
Ban Seok's eyes curved into a soft line.
“Time really does fly.”
“Be getting her married off soon. Kkeueuu.”
“If I could just see her get married before I die, I'd want for nothing... but that's not likely to happen.
People don't marry these days, or they marry late.”
“...”
Kang Jae-hoon sipped his instant coffee in silence.
Jang Eun-ha was reading a web novel in the driver's seat.
When the light at the intersection changed, the car moved. The steering wheel turned on its own.
She glanced outside and spotted Lee Han-seok standing at the edge of the street.
When she pressed the side-park button on the wheel, the car switched on its hazard lights, slowed, and pulled to a stop in front of Han-seok. The window slid down.
“Senior. What are you doing out here?”
Han-seok looked at Eun-ha, startled.
“Oh. Heading home from work. Was about to grab a taxi.”
“You didn't bring your car?”
“I don't have one.”
“I'm sorry—why not?”
“Cars depreciate, don't they?”
“You're ruthless. Get in. I'll drive you home.”
“Haha. That's all right.”
Han-seok didn't refuse twice. He climbed into the passenger seat, and the car pulled away.
“Could you punch in your address, Senior?”
“Sure. But why are you suddenly calling me 'senior'?”
“Because we're outside the office. You're my senior, aren't you? You don't like it?”
“Doesn't bother me. Junior.”
Han-seok typed the address into the navigation.
“Wow. You live in a place like this and you don't even own a car.”
“Real estate goes up in value. As for the car, the company has one, so I just use that.”
“Then you could commute in the company car.”
“Secretary Kim's using it today. She and Ah-jin are going out to shop for furniture or something.
Isn't it a waste, making you go out of your way for me?”
“Not at all. I was headed this way anyway.”
“What are you doing tonight? Got plans?”
“No?”
“Then want to come to my place?”
“Your home, Boss?”
“You've never been to my place, have you? Come hang out. You can stay the night if you want.”
“You mean, have sex?”
“Sex too, yes.”
“Is there some experiment you want to run?”
“No. Just sex. In murim novels they'd call it a night of shared passion.”
“With no intention or agenda whatsoever?”
“That's right. Purely because I want to kiss you, suck your nipples, grope your tits and your ass,
and come inside you. So let's go.”
Jang Eun-ha swallowed.
“Will you... give me a lot?”
“Today was no-orgasm day, remember? I'm backed up to the brim.”
“Hmm.”
“What? Not interested?”
“No, I want to as well, but something feels lacking?
With you, Senior, I expected you to have prepared something more befitting of my curiosity before extending an invitation.”
The look on her face said: try to satisfy me.
Jang Eun-ha crossed her smooth legs in their black stockings.
The corner of Han-seok's mouth lifted.
“I tried that love gel you made the other day.”
Eun-ha, who had been staring straight ahead, turned her head toward him.
“How was it? The scent's nice, right? Did your partner taste it? I put a lot of thought into the flavor too. Who did you use it on? Secretary Kim? Ah-jin?
Would you like to try it with me when we get there? I happen to have one right here.”
The words poured out of Jang Eun-ha like a burst of machine-gun fire.
“You know Han Yu-na?”
At Han-seok's words, Jang Eun-ha stared at him, her mouth hanging open.
“The Han Yu-na I know? The idol? The Goddess they say even AI can't outdo? That Han Yu-na?”
“Curious now, are we?”
“What on earth do you do when you're out and about?”
Han-seok pulled down his track pants and his boxer briefs.
His half-erect cock sprang free.
“Suck it.”
“Wow. Han Yu-na of all people.”
Jang Eun-ha uncrossed her legs.
Twisting sideways in her seat, she gripped Han-seok's cock in her hand.
She bent down, ran her tongue once around the crown, then took him into her mouth and began to suck.
Han-seok stroked the hair of Eun-ha's bobbing head.
“I'll tell you everything once we get home.”
The car sped down the highway.