Santa Uncle
Smoking Area [GreedyExplorer] [Even I'm getting tired just watching] [Host, why are you running around so much? lol] [Of course the organizer's busy lol]
While rummaging through my clothes to pull out a cigarette in the smoking area, I felt a vibration in my pocket. Buzz—!
[Daemin Card approved: Han* 350 won (one-time) Green Convenience Store]
I took out my ringing phone and saw a card payment notification. The kids must have bought some candy as a snack. Even though I told them they could eat expensive stuff, they always only used the card I gave them for necessities, probably thinking it would be a burden on me.
"350 won is kinda cute."
Imagining the sisters holding hands and sharing one piece of candy made me smile without realizing it.
Buzz—!
[Daemin Card approved: Han* 4,500 won (one-time) Green Convenience Store]
"4,500 won?"
Buzz—!
[Daemin Card approved: Han* 9,000 won (one-time) Green Convenience Store]
Before I could even finish reading the new messages, another one came flying in. The strange thing was that the amounts were steadily increasing. It didn't matter what they bought, but the numbers were bothering me. They were prices very familiar to smokers.
"Hyung-nim, wait a sec!"
Whether he heard my voice or not, one of Man-wook's subordinates who was passing by ran over quickly. From his face, I recognized him as someone who was always by Man-wook's side.
"Yes, noona. Did you call for me?"
Buzz—!
[Daemin Card approved: Han* 490,000 won (one-time) Candle Kimbap]
Another payment notification arrived in the meantime.
"Look at this. What's going on here?"
Man-wook's subordinate read the phone I held out, then looked back at me as if asking what the problem was.
"They just ate and bought cigarettes for dessert, right?"
"Who the hell buys 500,000 won worth of kimbap? And the person using this card is a pair of elementary and middle school sisters."
"Hmm····."
After staring at my phone again, Man-wook's subordinate nodded as if he'd reached his own conclusion.
"Noona. Kids these days are quick."
"Quick to want to leave this world?"
"Huk."
They were kids I took in after noticing them hesitating at the convenience store because their child meal card balance was insufficient. I just fed them meat and gave them the card. As always, they caught my eye, so I helped them. Even so, once they entered my care, they became my kids.
"They're kids I'm protecting. I'm busy right now—can you go check on them for me?"
"Of course, noona. I'll head over right away."
"Thanks. I'm counting on you."
"Yep!"
"And use this if things get urgent."
"Thank you!"
The moment Man-wook's subordinate took the item, turned around, and disappeared, my phone rang again.
Buzz—!
[Daemin Card approved: Han* 990,000 won (one-time) Candle Kimbap]
A bad feeling passed through me. If the kids had just been starving and splurging, I wouldn't have worried. But these were kids who normally nibbled away at the card like baby chicks pecking at feed. Kids who grew up watching every penny because of poverty. Whether thanks to that or because of it, even though they were young, they had a solid grasp of money. Even when I told them to use it without holding back, they waved their hands saying it would be wasteful. The idea of them spending over a million won at a kimbap place didn't make sense.
—Click, click.
"Huu—"
[Host, who was that just now?]
[Those big guys who show up sometimes?]
While I was deep in thought about the kids, I saw a group approaching from this direction. There were way too many of them, as if they'd all come to smoke together. The person walking at the front had his gaze fixed on me. When our eyes met, he smiled and walked over.
"We finally meet."
"Who the hell are you?"
"Hello. I'm singer Im Yu-jun."
"So what?"
For a moment, the surroundings fell silent. The numerous reporters following behind Im Yu-jun, along with the people who looked like his bodyguards—all of them stood with their mouths wide open, wearing the same expression.
[Aaaah, you crazy bitch!!!!]
[What? Is that really Im Yu-jun?]
"Ha, it's Han Ga-eul."
"Hup·····."
Whether I'd already been branded as the crazy bitch among the reporters or not, the ones who made eye contact with me desperately avoided my gaze. Meanwhile, Im Yu-jun just kept smiling.
"What are you grinning about?"
"Haha, I'm also part of the My Baby group."
"······."
[For real??]
[What the hell is going on?]
[Is this lip service?]
[But this is a foul on the host lol]
[lololol]
"And you reporters—what the hell did you crawl all the way here for? My mood's already shit, so this is perfect timing."
[Why is this crazy bitch taking it out on innocent people]
[The host really hates Im Yu-jun, but got fouled so what can she do lol]
[Super expensive—!!!]
[It's incitement and fabrication!!]
***
The Arirang Faction—an organization with an anachronistic direction. Andong-gwang, who had been part of it, quickened his steps. The place he arrived at was the neighborhood where the person who had asked him for a favor lived. It wasn't bad, but it was hard to call it good even as empty praise.
—Click, click.
"Huu—"
After staring at his destination from afar for a while, Andong-gwang sensed no one nearby and approached closer. It wasn't the entrance of the old villa, but a shabby single room with a small opening on the side leading to an alley. It was so run-down that anyone would mistake it for a bathroom. Through the slightly open window, the smell of cigarettes mixed with a thick moldy odor stabbed at Andong-gwang's nose. From inside came what sounded like the sobs of young children.
A phrase someone once said flashed through Andong-gwang's mind in this situation.
「Don't touch the kids.」
"Tsk. Noona said not to touch the kids. Wonder which crazy bastard it was."
The woman his hyung-nim served was the type who'd just brush it off even if you jabbed her in the side and ran. Of course, she'd come after you and kick your ass once. The simplest way to truly piss her off was to mess with the people she considered under her protection. In that case, she'd lose it without hesitation.
"Ugh, shit. Gave me goosebumps."
Andong-gwang unconsciously brushed his arm, recalling the day he'd been stabbed. Every time he saw her, he felt like something was missing in her. Basically, if she wasn't interested, she didn't care. She was cold-blooded enough not to blink even if someone next to her died screaming, yet someone had deliberately provoked her. They'd only ended up with a cut on the skin, but the pimp who'd first met her had touched the white rabbit on her head. Andong-gwang brushed his arm again, thinking of his former colleague whose fingers and toes had all been cut off.
"Huu—"
After confirming the kids she'd mentioned, Andong-gwang quickened his steps again. He'd thought it would be hard to find them if he was any later, but maybe that had been a simple misconception. The target levels in Andong-gwang's mind dropped by one stage.
"Boss, it's fine. As long as it doesn't hit 1 million won, the Financial Supervisory Service won't get involved."
"Still·····."
"I already showed you the payment history texts that came in. I'm in a hurry for cash. Just process 990,000 won on the card and give me 600,000 won in cash. What's there to think about?"
Above the faded signboard were the words "Candle Kimbap." An argument was in full swing inside. Low-level thugs demanding what was essentially card cashing. That was the level Andong-gwang had assessed them at. One demanded cash from the owner while the other, waiting outside, sent the payment history text in sync with his partner's gestures. It was a crude scam.
The man who'd been arguing finally came out of the store.
"Hey, they're tapped out. The scaredy-cat only did two transactions."
"At least you got two. Let's bail before the cops show up."
"This is an old neighborhood, so the CCTVs are spaced out. If we slip into the alleys, no one will know."
After confirming the two men had left, Andong-gwang carefully followed behind them. In Andong-gwang's eyes—who had eaten knife rice alongside Kim Man-wook his whole life—the two looked like complete amateurs.
'Too sloppy····?'
After tailing them for over thirty minutes, he watched the two climb the stairs of an old building with no sign. After they went up, Andong-gwang waited a moment before following them inside. As he continued climbing the stairs, he heard noisy sounds coming from behind the door on the fourth floor.
『Where's the money?』
『There's nothing to squeeze from those beggar brats. At least we scratched the card a bit.』
From the voices, Andong-gwang confirmed there were roughly three or four people and flung the door open. More than a dozen pairs of eyes immediately turned toward him.
'Why are there so many brats? This is fucked····.'
"Customer, here to borrow money? From 100,000 to 3 million won, we can do it same-day with just an ID."
The 100,000 won they mentioned wouldn't stay 100,000 won after one night. Kids playing loan shark with pocket change. That was Andong-gwang's judgment.
"Money? There are still punks doing loan sharking in this neighborhood?"
The people sitting on the worn-out old sofa all stood up in a line at Andong-gwang's words.
"Customer's got a short tongue, huh?"
"Our kids should've swept the place clean—how'd you dodge it, you rat?"
"Got some nerve."
Over ten people. Even if Andong-gwang had lived on knife rice, it was impossible for one person to take on that many armed with clubs.
"Friends, just a moment."
At Andong-gwang's sudden words, the ones creeping forward with weapons in hand stopped as if brakes had been applied.
Pop!
In that gap, Andong-gwang opened a bottle cap, and the sweet scent unique to peach flesh mixed with a clear fragrance spread instantly. Gulp, gulp. Without even looking back, Andong-gwang began chugging from the bottle. With each sip sliding down his throat, Andong-gwang tasted a euphoria close to ecstasy.
"Haa·····."
Feeling even his exhaling breath was a waste, Andong-gwang carefully set the bottle down at his feet.
"Crazy bastard. Suddenly chugging alcohol?"
"Haha. It was just too good a drink."
Shing.
With a deep smile, Andong-gwang drew a sharp filleting knife gleaming with silver light from his coat.
"C-crazy bastard. Looks like you've been out playing somewhere, but we've lived a bit too!"
"That's a shame. I've already quit."
An unprecedented strength surged through his body. Andong-gwang felt a deeper sense of omnipotence than when he'd done drugs. At the same time, he recalled Kim Man-wook smashing concrete with his bare hands.
"Gotta clean this up quick and go get praised by noona. Then she'll pat my head, and if I'm lucky, I might even get a drink. Thanks to you guys."
"What the hell are you saying? Did you take something?"
"Hehe."
"Crazy bastard·····."
As if trying to intimidate him, one pulled out a tool from beside him.
"Bolt cutter? Ever used one?"
"Not yet. But I'm planning to use it on you."
"Bolt cutters don't cut. They crush. You feel it dig into the flesh and catch on the bone. From then on, the bone gets crushed by the bolt cutter···· hehe, you guys won't know that feeling."
***
Click.
"Noona."
- Please sue them. Before that, I need to check if the camera's hard or your heads are harder.
"·····Noona?"
- Oh, you finished?
"Yes. Turns out the kids' mom borrowed 200,000 won, and it snowballed. I handled it cleanly."
- You worked hard. Those types are all stubborn.
"While I was cutting off one finger each, they started making a fuss wanting to talk quickly."
Andong-gwang, in a good mood from her praise, began recounting his exploits.
- Thank you so much. Finish cleaning up properly and come back safely.
"Yes, I'll be there soon."
Click.
After hanging up, Andong-gwang's steps felt lighter and his spirits lifted. Knock knock.
"Who is it·····."
Unlike the excited Andong-gwang who had safely completed her request, a frail voice came from inside the door. It was a voice trembling with anxiety. After a brief moment of thought, Andong-gwang cleared his throat for a softer tone.
"Ahem. I'm Santa Claus Uncle sent by Ga-eul noona."
The old door that had seemed firmly shut opened right away, and a young child peeked out.
"····Noona?"
Through the gap, Andong-gwang glanced inside and confirmed that all the crude furniture had been smashed.
"Ta-da."
"Hik!"
The child who spotted Andong-gwang had a seizure.
"Oh dear, Uncle must look too scary. Sorry."
"Uh····."
At Andong-gwang's apology, the child's eyes widened into circles.
"No, I'm sorry."
Seeing the child bow their head politely, a smile appeared on Andong-gwang's face.
"Okay, again. Ta-da! Uncle brought lots of tasty things."
"Waa····!"
Andong-gwang, carrying so much food in both hands that a child couldn't possibly lift it, carefully set it down inside the door.
"And here."
The child carefully accepted the card Andong-gwang handed over.
"Santa Uncle already scolded the bad people, so you don't have to worry."
"Waa!"
The child's eyes sparkled. Meanwhile, hurried footsteps came from inside the house, and another child quickly approached. This one was a bit bigger than the first.
"Unni, Santa Uncle brought tasty things."
The older child's eyes held deep distrust. It wasn't an emotion a young child should have.
"Ga-eul noona sent me."
"Noona?"
With that single word, the thick wariness the older child had been holding melted away like snow. Andong-gwang wondered if he'd spoken some kind of magic word.
"That's right. Uncle brought tasty things, so eat with your little sibling."
"Thank you···· Santa Uncle."
"Yeah. Kids need to eat well. That's what our noona said."