Things That Deserve To Die

Ja-kyung couldn’t keep his mouth shut as he opened the boxes Park Tae-soo had brought in the afternoon. Wang Han and Wang Lun were busy admiring it as well. He said they would use the weapons they found in the box while working. Ja-kyung recognized it as the same type he’d seen in the basement. Park Tae-soo placed the car key on the table as he examined the guns one by one.

“This is the car that the three of you will use. Use this if possible.”

Wang Lun’s eyes widened as he checked the car keys. It was a fairly expensive car.

“And if you tell me anything else you need, I’ll take care of it right away.”

Park Tae-soo immediately handed a shopping bag to Ja-kyung.

“The CEO told me to deliver this.”

Ja-kyung opened it after Park Tae-soo said goodbye and left. It’s a cell phone. It’s also the most recent model. Il-hyun must have purchased it because he dropped his phone in the water yesterday, but he decided it would be better to disassemble it and inspect it in case it was being tapped.

Wang Lun is starting to have opposing views. He couldn’t believe Il-hyun was still buying them things after he had already paid them so much. Let us not bail in the middle and simply request a long-term contract. He gave Ja-kyung a quick glance but quickly changed his mind. The atmosphere became tense because he made with his mouth and the two of them just had a fight last night.

“CEO Kang has a cool personality. He is a man who knows how to spend money properly.”

Despite his quiet praise, Ja-kyung remained silent, tinkering with his gun while smoking a cigarette. He gave Wang Han a sidelong glance, but his expression asked him to let go.

***

Ja-kyung lay on the bed wearing only one pair of panties and stared at the ceiling. Everything in the bedroom has been replaced, and the bed is now larger than before. It had been raining nonstop since yesterday, making it hot and humid outside, but the air conditioner was always on, keeping the house cool.

Kang Il-hyun did not appear in his room yesterday. Even when he saw him this morning, he only did a simple greeting. He didn’t carelessly touch his body, and he didn’t play jokes or pranks on him. It was refreshing, but also strangely uncomfortable.

When people suddenly change, they are said to die soon. It would be fine if he died, but Ja-kyung was afraid that if Il-hyun endured it, he would explode and do something even more heinous and crazy. Then there was a knock on the door. Ja-kyung raised his head and looked at it, but the door opened and Kang Il-hyun appeared.

Ja-kyung frowned automatically. Kang Il-hyun asked if he could go in at the door while he was putting on the shirt he had hung next to him. Ja-kyung who was wearing his clothes hesitated. He wondered if he had misheard, but it appears that he is awaiting permission. When Ja-kyung looked at him dumbfoundedly, Kang Il-hyun carefully closed the door and entered.

As he approached, the bruises on his face were still visible. He was holding a mug. He approached the bed and placed it on the bedside table. The aroma of tea could be detected. This is a tea that Ja-kyung has enjoyed drinking since long ago.

“I asked your brother and he said you like this.”

Ja-kyung glared at him without replying.

Il-hyun pulled a chair and sat down, making eye contact with Ja-kyung and smiling apologetically.

“What happened that day was too much for you. No matter how angry I’m, I shouldn’t cut your dick carelessly.”

Ja-kyung was dumbfounded as he looked at him. What nonsense. Crazy bastard. Ja-kyung wanted to curse but held back because he didn’t want to stir up trouble. He wished for him to leave quickly, but Il-hyun moved his hand to his bosom. Perhaps he was going to pull out the axe again, but when Ja-kyung clenched his fist to defend himself, an unexpected object came out of his hand.

He put it next to the teacup. The little elephant was made of wood, and the shape was elaborate and cute. As he was looking at it, Il-hyun asked him indirectly.

“I thought of you when I bought it. Do you like it?”

Ja-kyung remained silent. Il-hyun rose from his seat, paused awkwardly, then reached out and brushed Ja-kyung’s bangs once. When the perplexed Ja-kyung stood still, he gently touched him and quickly withdrew his hand.

“Then, sleep well. Have a nice dream.”

He smiles and walks out of the room. Ja-kyung blinked slowly and pinched his cheek, wondering if this was all a dream. He returns to his senses by looking at the teacup and the elephant next to it. Is he crazy, and why is he acting this way? It wasn’t good that people suddenly changed; it was scary.

Perhaps he is listening outside the door. Ja-kyung nervously opened the door, but no one was there. He’s really gone, judging by the fact that he’s not even in the living room. Ja-kyung wondered if Il-hyun had a camera attached to it, but he searched the room and found nothing.

The aromas of tea and his skin lingered in the room. Ja-kyung sat on the bed, holding the elephant up to his face and staring at it. What are you up to?

***

Ja-kyung is eating dinner earlier than usual, but Kang Il-hyun enters the room after leaving work early. However, the clothes have changed. He was dressed in black which made his face appear more decadent. Ja-kyung gave him a quick glance before turning away while eating dinner. Wang’s brother greeted him as he approached, but Ja-kyung remained silent.

Il-hyun instructed the house chef not to prepare his dinner tonight, and he quickly left the house after a brief goodbye. Ja-kyung, who was eating, looked in the direction in which he had disappeared. At that time, Wang Lun patted Ja-kyung’s shoulder.

“You still haven’t made up?”

Ja-kyung didn’t answer.

“But where is he going today? The atmosphere is different from usual.”

The house chef gave Ja-kyung more food and smiled with a slightly sad expression.

“It’s his Mother’s memorial day..”

Ja-kyung, who was drinking the water, stopped. Unknowingly, his gaze returned to the side where Kang Il-hyun had disappeared. He remembered him talking about his mother. Did he say she went insane and committed suicide? Kang Il-hyun said that she attempted to drown him in water. Everything started when Chairman Kang took her and forced her to marry him against her will. Is this where Kang Il-hyun’s hatred began?

Ja-kyung hand slowed down. His head was spinning as he remembered his late mother. Choi Moon-seong’s brother younger and Choi Ki-tae’s uncle, whom he killed with his own hands a year ago, was the man he needed to kill in two days. He may have seen him once as a child.

Even after 15 years, the painful and bad feelings has not faded.

“Thank you for the meal.”

When Ja-kyung stood up from his meal, the house chef asked him worriedly, if he didn’t have an appetite. He smiled and went upstairs. He packed his gun and knife for the work in two days, double-checked it, and went for a walk to digest.

The weather remained humid. It had stopped for a while, but the sky was cloudy, and it was about to rain again. The bodyguards greeted him as if they were used to it while he was out for a walk. After a year, the shepherd he had seen before also appeared more dignified. Meanwhile, there were several dogs who looked alike, as if they had become friends.

After walking moderately, he came inside the house, took a shower, and meditated. He slowly emptied the sundry things in his heart. After an hour or so, he got up. It was already dark outside.

Looking out the window, Ja-kyung’s gaze was drawn to the swimming pool. Kang Il-hyun, who had disappeared a few hours before on the occasion of his Mother’s memorial day., was sitting on a chair, gazing out at the pool. Raindrops fell from the sky one by one, but he did not move.

He smoked a few cigarettes before slowly taking off his shoes, jacket, and loosening his tie. Il-hyun walked into the pool when Ja-kyung realized what he was doing. Ja-kyung’s eyes widened. He lay down in the pool looking at the sky.

The figure floating in the water appeared to be as at ease as lying on a bed. Little by little, the raindrops became more intense. In that state, Kang Il-hyun did not even move. Ja-kyung walked away from the window and into bed to lie down. He tried to relax his nerves and fall asleep, but he couldn’t.

He stood up and returned to the window, but Il-hyun was still floating there like a corpse. Perhaps he was drunk. Who will give them the money if he drowns while doing so? If not… Is it so painful that he wants to die? Why does he appear so pathetic today?

Ja-kyung wondered if he hadn’t had any energy for a few days because of his Mother’s memorial day.. He is still a human being, so he experiences sadness. Ja-kyung changed his clothes and went downstairs, concerned. Everyone had gone to bed, so the house was quiet, and when he came out, the guards standing guard greeted him.

He opened his umbrella and walked towards the pool. Patter, patter, the sound of rain was strong. Ja-kyung was already standing in front of the pool. Kang Il-hyun closed his eyes and remained motionless.

“What are you doing?”

Ja-kyung asked but there was no answer

“What are you doing?”

Il-hyun remained silent. No way, Ja-kyung immediately jumped into the pool and grabbed his arm. Kang Il-hyun then opened his eyes and stood up straight. He raised an eyebrow as he wiped the water from his face. Ja-kyung let out a sigh of relief and spat out a curse.

“Why are you making that face?”

“What face?”

When he replied bluntly, Kang Il-hyun smiled faintly.

“Why do you look so scared?”

Ja-kyung’s eyes flickered slightly. The answer did not come easily. Did he? No. It was just that without Il-hyun, Ja-kyung has no one to give him money… He made excuses inside his head but couldn’t get them out.

Just then, the rain poured down. Il-hyun’s large hand shaded Ja-kyung’s head. And with the other hand, he kindly wiped the rainwater from his face.

“Let’s not get caught in the rain and go out. You will catch a cold.”