My manager's voice, tight with alarm, barely registered through the phone. "Y-your stylist just called... to tell me that the dress she put on hold for you to wear to the K Music Festival Award Ceremony..."
My eyes widened. My heart hammered against my ribs. "WELL, SHE'S SAYING THAT RENA CAME AND TOOK YOUR DRESS...!"
"WHAT...? WHO TOOK THE DRESS?" My voice was sharp, cutting through the panic. I walked down the dim stairwell, the emergency exit sign for the 3F and 4F looming large.
"DID SOMETHING HAPPEN BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU? WHY WOULD SHE TAKE YOUR DRESS?"
I gripped the phone tighter, staring at the grey concrete steps. "Ha... I might have pissed her off a little."
"YOU PISSED HER OFF? WHY?"
"She was talking behind my back to Inkang, so I had a word with her. Thankfully, the things she blurted out just drove Inkang away from her even more." The satisfaction was thin and fleeting. Now Rena was retaliating, and it felt like a cold, deliberate strike.
"UGH, MY HEAD HURTS. CAN WE TALK ABOUT THIS LATER?" I massaged my temple. The stress was giving me a migraine.
"IS THERE ANYONE NEXT TO YOU?"
I paused, looking around the empty landing. "I'm alone in the stairwell. My manager is on the phone with the stylist." I saw the figure of the person I was talking to, standing outside a door, as he spoke.
"THEN LISTEN. DON'T DO ANYTHING ON YOUR OWN. IF YOU HAVE A PLAN, TALK TO ME FIRST."
"I'm surprised you're not telling me not to do anything." I had expected a lecture.
"YOU'D NEVER LISTEN TO ME ANYWAYS," he retorted. "I'D RATHER GET MY HANDS DIRTY THAN YOURS, SO DON'T HIDE THINGS FROM ME AND TELL ME WHAT YOU'RE PLANNING."
I could see him clearly in my mind—tall, dark jacket, looking protective even as he sounded exasperated. "WHAT'S THE POINT OF GETTING YOUR HANDS DIRTY TO KEEP MINE CLEAN...? IT'S THE SAME THING."
He shifted, and a door hinge gave a long, echoing "SQUEAAAK." "IT ISN'T. AS LONG AS I CAN KEEP YOUR HANDS CLEAN, YOU'LL HAVE A SHOT AT LIVING A NORMAL LIFE."
I bit back a sharp reply. "LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT ANOTHER TIME. COULD YOU LOOK INTO RENA FOR ME?"
I walked to the corner, standing in the shadow as I mulled over my next move.
She's taking things from me because she thinks I won't be able to fight back...
If I don't want people to take things away from me, I have to become powerful.
I have to get to a place where...
My eyes drifted down to a notification that had popped up on my phone—a text message: "Are you free today? Want to grab dinner with me?"
I returned my focus to the call. "EVEN IF I DON'T PUT ANYTHING IN MOTION RIGHT AWAY, I'D LIKE TO KNOW THE KIND OF CARDS I HAVE IN MY HAND."
"OKAY..." he conceded. Then, a few seconds later, I saw a handwritten note on the screen, detailing information about someone: "YANG SUK PAI (BROTHER)," "INMO HEO (29) OWNER OF CLOTHING SHOP." It seemed he was already planning his move. "I'LL LOOK INTO HER AND LET YOU KNOW AS SOON AS I FIND ANYTHING."
I closed my eyes for a moment, steadying myself. This was the world I was in. I couldn't afford to be weak. I had to be strong enough to stop the next Rena from taking what was mine.
The Call for a Favor
The phone rang with an aggressive "RRRRING RRRRING". I answered immediately. "HELLO, THANK YOU FOR CALLING DIRECT SOLUTION SERVICE." My job, as always, was PROBLEM SOLVING and PROVIDING DIRECT SOLUTIONS.
"Jaeo...?" The voice on the other end was familiar.
"WHO-- OH, IS THAT YOU, JUNSEO?" I recognized my friend's voice.
"BONGCHANG IS OUT RIGHT NOW. HE LOST HIS CAR KEYS SO HE LEFT TO GO LOOK FOR THEM. I just don't understand why someone so forgetful would get his car keys foiled in gold..." I trailed off, shaking my head at the absurdity of it all.
"I'LL JUST CALL MR. DO'S CELL PHONE..." I said, ready to hang up.
"HEY, HEY, HEY! WAIT! DON'T HANG UP YET!" Junseo's shout stopped me.
"WHY?"
"I'M SO BORED... WANNA GRAB DRINKS LATER?" he asked.
"ARE YOU FREE TONIGHT?" I replied, already looking forward to a break.
Junseo chuckled, a familiar, slightly mischievous sound. "IT WOULD BE NICE TO HANG OUT AGAIN! Jeez, you like my wallet better than me. YOU JUST NEED SOMEONE TO BUY YOU DRINKS."
"CLEVER BASTARD...!" I laughed.
"SO DO YOU WANT TO HANG OUT OR NOT?" he pressed.
"SURE. I'LL TEXT YOU AN ADDRESS. MEET ME THERE LATER."
The Author's Burden
A few hours later, I was sitting alone at a BAR in the trendy part of town. The pink neon sign cast a warm, hazy glow over the street outside. I hadn't been able to wait, already nursing a drink when Junseo walked in.
"Jeez, you couldn't wait for me!" Junseo's boots made a low "TINGLE" sound as he walked toward the bar. "WHY'RE YOU DRINKING ALL BY YOURSELF?"
"Why are you asking me to buy you drinks? I thought you have a job. DOES YOUR BOSS NOT PAY YOU?" I asked, putting my glass down.
"HE PAYS ME WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'M THE PROBLEM." Junseo looked around, taking in the ambiance. "HI, COULD I GET AN EXTRA GLASS?" he called to the bartender.
"ISN'T THIS PLACE EXPENSIVE? DO ALL WRITERS DRINK AT EXPENSIVE PLACES LIKE THIS? MAYBE I SHOULD TRY MY HAND AT WRITING A BOOK..." Junseo picked up the bottle of red liquid and looked at the label, clearly impressed by the cost.
I took a slow sip of my drink as the bartender placed a fresh glass in front of him. "DON'T. IT'S NOT VERY GOOD FOR YOUR MENTAL HEALTH."
"HA! THEN WHY DO YOU KEEP WRITING?" Junseo asked, pouring himself a drink.
"Because things that are impossible in reality become possible in novels," I explained, the haze of alcohol making my thoughts clearer, darker. "That's why I write. I don't know how I'd go on if I didn't." I looked down at my drink, swirling the amber liquid.
"IF SOMEONE COMMITS A CRIME THEY CAN NEVER BE FORGIVEN FOR, they're bound to seek forgiveness in one way or another."
"WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN...? ARE YOU DRUNK??" Junseo asked, his brow furrowed with confusion.
"You probably never bothered to read my book, but the two main characters die at the end of the story." I lifted my gaze, my eyes holding a familiar, intense sadness.
"THEY REGRET THE THINGS THEY'VE DONE AND PAY FOR THEIR CRIMES... WITH DEATH."
"I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT... IT ALL SOUNDS KINDA COMPLICATED," Jaeo said, taking a hefty swig from his glass. "BUT THEN AGAIN, YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN A BIT HARD TO UNDERSTAND."
I just smiled, swirling my drink. "IT'S FUNNY THAT WE'RE SITTING HERE DRINKING TOGETHER... WHEN YOU HATED ME BACK IN HIGH SCHOOL."
Jaeo looked slightly defensive. "HEY, JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY... WHAT MADE YOU INVITE I TO YOUR PLACE SO WE COULD MEET AGAIN? IT'S THE LAST THING I'D HAVE EXPECTED YOU TO DO. BACK THEN, I THOUGHT YOU WERE A BAD INFLUENCE ON I..."
"YOU DON'T THINK THAT'S THE CASE NOW...?" I countered, a shadow crossing my expression.
"As you probably already knew... I doesn't exactly see the world like others," I continued. "She's not as normal or nice as people think. She lacks social skills... and she has a lot of scars from her past. She also doesn't know how to trust people."
I looked directly at Jaeo, making sure my point landed. "THE ONLY REASON I KEEPS ME AROUND IS BECAUSE SHE THINKS I'M USEFUL TO HER."
Jaeo set his glass down sharply. "WHAT? NO WAY!"
"But not you, Jaeo," I said, ignoring his outburst. "I would carefully pick her friends in high school... until you came out of nowhere. You weren't a great student, and normally I would have wanted nothing to do with you."
I paused, letting the silence hang. "BUT CONTRARY TO MY EXPECTATIONS, she began to show an interest in you."
Jaeo frowned, misunderstanding. "INTEREST? She just caught me stealing stuff, that's all—"
I cut him off, shaking my head. "I usually doesn't care about things that don't involve her. She shouldn't have cared... whether you stole things or set fire to the classroom. I even had someone else in mind to put in charge of money lending... until you came along."
Jaeo just stared at me, sipping his drink.
I picked up my own glass, the ice cubes rattling with a sharp CLINK. "She suddenly changed her mind, put you in charge, and even gave you a cut. She was always unusually lenient with you."
I finished my drink, a small, knowing smile playing on my lips. "There was something about you, Jaeo, that I found... unique
Junseo continued, his gaze intense. "That's what made me dislike you... Ajin being lenient with you didn't benefit her, so why? That eventually made me think. What made her... trust you with the money lending? It didn't benefit her, so why?"
Jaeo, taking a sip of his drink, appeared lost in thought. "I wonder... if it's because she pitied me." He paused, reflecting on the situation.
Junseo, however, dismissed the simple explanation. "The most important thing is that... Ajin kept you around, despite having no logical reason to... as if she felt something toward you."
Jaeo shook his head, looking down. "She thinks she can manipulate and control people and get them to do whatever she wants them to do. She has no-"
"I'm not sure what it is exactly that she feels toward you, but I have a feeling that she has no idea herself," Junseo interrupted gently. "She probably thinks she has you under her control too... just like when we were 18."
The High School Flashback
The scene shifted to a black-and-white memory from high school. Jaeo, younger and sitting at a desk, looked startled as a girl, perhaps a classmate, approached him, a backpack slung over her shoulder.
"WHAT ARE YOU... ...DOING OVER THERE?" the girl asked, standing in the doorway.
Another girl, likely the younger Ajin (in a school uniform), confronted him with a cold stare. She was already keenly observant.
"YOU BEEN COMING TO SCHOOL BRUISED UP SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. AND THE BRUISES WERE USUALLY ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF YOUR FACE," she stated, noting the injuries he always carried. "I could tell your dad was left-handed."
Her voice turned sharp. "AREN'T YOU SICK OF LIVING LIKE THIS? IF I WERE YOU, I WOULD HAVE DONE ANYTHING TO GET AWAY... WHY DO YOU KEEP LETTING HIM HURT YOU?" The question hung in the air, a devastating observation from someone who saw his pain but not his hesitation.
A Chance at a Normal Life
The memory faded, and the men were back in the neon-lit bar. Junseo finished his thought, making his final plea.
"That's why I need you to stay beside her," Junseo said, leaning forward. "Ajin has a chance at a normal life with you, not me."
He was pushing Jaeo toward the protagonist, not out of malice, but with a complex sense of sacrifice and belief that Jaeo represented the stability Ajin needed to overcome her own past and her dark methods of seeking power.
I sat across from Inkang Heo in a low-key restaurant. A sign above the counter read "24 HOUR GALBI SOUP."
"Could we get... two Galbi Soups please?" Inkang asked the waiter.
"Did you have to wait long?" Inkang asked me.
"No, I just got here too," I replied.
Inkang smiled, his earlier tension gone. "Haha, of course. It would be my pleasure to treat my famous coworker to dinner. This place is nice, though. Plus, we won't have to worry about people taking photos of us."
"I only found out because someone I know recommended it to me," Inkang continued, looking pleased with his choice. "Apparently, a lot of celebrity couples come here... because it's an excellent place for a date."
"Is that so?" I murmured, feeling a flicker of surprise at his phrasing. The waiter brought the water. "Oh, thanks." I took a sip, contemplating his words: "Couples...? Date...?"
Inkang reached into a shopping bag and slid a gift toward me. "By the way, this is for Grandma. Will you give this to her for me?"
I picked up the pink bag. "What is it...?"
"It's some yarn. I noticed that she knits as a hobby," he explained.
I looked up, genuinely touched by the gesture. "Thank you for this. I think Grandma will love it."
"If you ever feel lonely on your days off... feel free to come over to Grandma's place," Inkang offered kindly. "I'll let her know you might drop by. My brother is so busy that he's rarely home, so you'll probably never run into him."
An Awkward Truth
"Aww, thanks. Wow, you're putting both me and my brother to shame! How old is your grandmother, Ajin?" Inkang asked. "Do you go visit her often?"
A sudden, unexpected melancholy washed over me. "No, my grandparents on both sides and... my parents all passed away when I was young," I admitted softly. The silence stretched between us. "I think that's why I feel so comfortable around your grandma."
Inkang's eyes widened slightly in shock before he quickly recovered, leaning back. "Oh... oh my god... I'm so sorry..." he whispered, his reaction quiet and genuinely apologetic.
I offered a small, reassuring smile. "It's okay. Ms. Seo is probably... the only person who knows about my family." I sensed the pity, but I didn't mind it from him.
Inkang looked away, his expression thoughtful. He must have realized how much I had gone through. "She must have grown up feeling very lonely too..." he thought.
"Aww, thank you, Inkang," I said, trying to lighten the mood. "I might take you up on that offer. I've been feeling a bit lonely on my days off... because I don't have many friends either."
"Why not?" Inkang asked, a shadow of concern in his eyes. "You're so kind and thoughtful!"
I gave him a knowing smirk, finding a little power in the lie. "Sorry, that took longer than I thought it would... I'll take you somewhere nicer next time."
"Aww, I'm so lucky! That's two dinners with you!" I said, taking a sip from my water bottle. "No take backsies, okay?"
The contrast between this friendly, almost sweet interaction and the earlier decision to "become powerful" was stark. I knew exactly what I was doing, but with Inkang, I could pretend to be someone simpler, someone who was just a little lonely.
My manager's frantic voice pierced the quiet of the stairwell. "Y-your stylist just called... to tell me that the dress she put on hold for you to wear to the K Music Festival Award Ceremony... well, she's saying that Rena came and took your dress...!"
I gripped the phone tightly, my mind racing as I walked past the emergency exit signs. "WHAT...? WHO TOOK THE DRESS? DID SOMETHING HAPPEN BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU? WHY WOULD SHE TAKE YOUR DRESS?"
"Ha... I might have pissed her off a little," I admitted. "She was talking behind my back to Inkang, so I had a word with her. Thankfully, the things she blurted out just drove Inkang away from her even more." The minor victory felt hollow now. Rena was striking back.
"UGH, MY HEAD HURTS. CAN WE TALK ABOUT THIS LATER?" I massaged my temple.
A familiar male voice on the line cut in, "THEN LISTEN. DON'T DO ANYTHING ON YOUR OWN. IF YOU HAVE A PLAN, talk to me first."
"I'm surprised you're not telling me not to do anything," I replied.
"YOU'D NEVER LISTEN TO ME ANYWAYS," he retorted. "I'D RATHER GET MY HANDS DIRTY THAN YOURS, SO DON'T HIDE THINGS FROM ME AND TELL ME WHAT YOU'RE PLANNING."
I paused, looking at the door he was standing behind. "What's the point of getting your hands dirty to keep mine clean...? It's the same thing."
"IT ISN'T. AS LONG AS I CAN KEEP YOUR HANDS CLEAN, YOU'LL HAVE A SHOT AT LIVING A NORMAL LIFE."
I took a breath. "LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT ANOTHER TIME. COULD YOU LOOK INTO RENA FOR ME? Even if I don't put anything in motion right away, I'd like to know the kind of cards I have in my hand."
My eyes focused on a simple text message that had popped up: "Are you free today? Want to grab dinner with me?"
I closed my eyes, the cold reality settling in: She's taking things from me because she thinks I won't be able to fight back... If I don't want people to take things away from me, I have to become powerful. I have to get to a place where...
Part 2: Whispers and Warning
(Note: This section shifts to the perspective of the male characters, Junseo and Jaeo, discussing "I" (Ajin), as she is not present in the scene, and it provides crucial context about her character.)
Jaeo: "I have no idea what you're talking about... It all sounds kinda complicated. But then again, you've always been a bit hard to understand. It's funny that we're sitting here drinking together... when you hated me back in high school."
Junseo (The Author): "Hey, just out of curiosity... what made you invite Ajin to your place so we could meet again? It's the last thing I'd have expected you to do. Back then, I thought you were a bad influence on Ajin..."
Jaeo: "You don't think that's the case now...?"
Junseo: "As you probably already knew... Ajin doesn't exactly see the world like others. She's not as normal or nice as people think. She lacks social skills... and she has a lot of scars from her past. She also doesn't know how to trust people. The only reason Ajin keeps me around is because she thinks I'm useful to her."
Jaeo: "WHAT? NO WAY!"
Junseo: "But not you, Jaeo. Ajin would carefully pick her friends in high school... until you came along. You weren't a great student, and normally Ajin would have wanted nothing to do with you. But contrary to my expectations, she began to show an interest in you."
Jaeo: "Interest? She just caught me stealing stuff, that's all—"
Junseo: "Ajin usually doesn't care about things that don't involve her. She shouldn't have cared... whether you stole things or set fire to the classroom. Ajin even had someone else in mind to put in charge of money lending... until you came along. She suddenly changed her mind, put you in charge, and even gave you a cut. She was always unusually lenient with you."
Jaeo: "I wonder... if it's because she pitied me. The most important thing is that... Ajin kept you around, despite having no logical reason to... as if she felt something toward you."
Junseo: "She probably thinks she has you under her control too... just like when we were 18. Ajin has a chance at a normal life with you, not me. That's why I need you to stay beside her."
Part 3: Dinner with Inkang
I sat across from Inkang Heo at a modest Galbi Soup restaurant. It was better than I expected, offering the privacy I preferred.
"Haha, of course. It would be my pleasure to treat my famous coworker to dinner," Inkang said, smiling. "This place is nice, though. Plus, we won't have to worry about people taking photos of us. Apparently, a lot of celebrity couples come here... because it's an excellent place for a date."
A faint memory of Rena trying to drive a wedge between us crossed my mind, but I pushed it away. "Is that so?" I replied, accepting the water. The word 'date' felt heavy, but I allowed it.
Inkang slid a pink bag across the table. "By the way, this is for Grandma. Will you give this to her for me? It's some yarn. I noticed that she knits as a hobby."
My throat tightened. "Thank you for this. I think Grandma will love it." It was a gesture of simple, unexpected kindness.
"If you ever feel lonely on your days off... feel free to come over to Grandma's place," he offered. "Plus, Grandma really likes you!"
I paused, realizing the depth of the trust he was offering. "Aww, thanks. Wow, you're putting both me and my brother to shame! How old is your grandmother, Ajin?"
"No, my grandparents on both sides and... my parents all passed away when I was young," I admitted, my voice flat. "I think that's why I feel so comfortable around your grandma."
Inkang's face fell instantly. "Oh... oh my god... I'm so sorry..."
"It's okay. It's all in the past now. I can laugh about it when I look back at those moments." I gave him a small, practiced smile, letting him think the pain was gone. "I might take you up on that offer. I've been feeling a bit lonely on my days off... because I don't have many friends either."
"You're so kind and thoughtful! Anyone would love to be friends with you! Why not?" he asked, genuine bewilderment in his eyes.
"Oh, I'm not sure," I said, leaning in slightly. "I've just encountered a lot of people who dislike me... One person even went out of their way to spread malicious rumors about me. Ugh... after having seen how Rena treated you, I think I can understand."
I finished my drink. The meal had been better than I expected. I was tired of fighting, but I knew the truce was temporary. I needed to get stronger. I needed people like Inkang to lower their guard. I needed to keep my options open.