Underpainting

“Choi Beomsik, earlier….”“No, not him. Your name.”“Oh.”Dawon replied, his neck slightly flushed.“Kwon Dawon.”He wondered if he should ask the man’s name in return, or if it would be better not to. Before Dawon could decide, the man finished his cigarette.He took a deep drag and exhaled, the thick smoke obscuring his already inscrutable expression even more.“You should go now.”The man said in a commanding tone, opening the door himself as if ready to drag Dawon out if he didn’t leave on his own.Dawon limped across the man’s spacious living room. As he wondered if it was okay to leave like this, a chilling sensation crept down his spine.He turned to see the man’s gaze still fixed on him. Specifically, the man was staring intently at Dawon’s right leg dragging on the floor.Dawon remembered the man’s question about what he thought would happen by coming here. A shiver ran down his spine.‘What is he thinking?’Dawon finally understood what the man’s gaze resembled. It was the stare of a predator eyeing its prey, coldly and relentlessly examining every detail.Despite his fear, Dawon kept walking. As he passed through the living room and opened the front door, the man’s subordinates in the yard were startled to see him emerge from the house.“What the—?”Just as they were about to lunge at Dawon, the man’s voice rang out from behind.“I called him. Leave him alone.”The men, who had been ready to pounce, backed away at the man’s words. Perhaps it wasn’t a lie after all.Though the man had never called Dawon, Dawon had been drawn to him like a moth to a flame, seeking the scent of death and the hope it promised.‘Did I make the right choice?’Dawon returned to his two-story house and struggled up the stairs. At the top, there was a door to a storage room on the left and a wooden wall on the right. Dawon pushed the center of the wooden wall, revealing a hidden entrance to his room.His uncles wanted to keep Dawon’s existence a secret from visitors. His room, hidden behind a false wall, was a prison filled with paints, paper, and pigments.As Dawon reached his bed, he felt dizzy. Realizing something was wrong, he felt a fever rising in the back of his neck.‘A cold? No, it’s not that…. Is it because the tension is gone?’An unfamiliar churning in his stomach felt as strange as the world outside his confinement. Overwhelmed by the sensation, Dawon collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep.His feverish dreams were both long and short, perhaps even happily so. That day was peculiar, probably because it was February 29th.Dawon, who had been deeply asleep until dusk, finally woke up when someone slapped him across the face.“Ugh…!”In Dawon’s two-story house, beatings happened without warning. He tried to open his eyes quickly to avoid more blows, but his eyelids wouldn’t cooperate. Another harsh slap landed on the other side of his face.“Huh….”Dawon struggled to open his eyes, his vision blurred with tears. In his room stood the almighty figure, the one who had confined him to this small world and forced a paintbrush into his hand.“What have you done to deserve rest? Do you think you can sleep now?”His eldest uncle was furious. Dawon realized he had miscalculated; he hadn’t expected his uncle to return so soon. His plan to visit the neighbor’s house relied on his uncle being away.His other uncles, standing behind the eldest, looked anxious, fearing his wrath might turn on them.“Why is there so little progress on the painting? What have you been doing all day?”But the eldest uncle was different. Sharper than the others, he immediately noticed the lack of work. Dawon, exhausted from his visit to the man’s house and the subsequent sleep, hadn’t completed his afternoon tasks.“I accidentally fell asleep….”“Why are you suddenly napping? You never sleep during the day. What’s so tiring about painting all day in this house?”Dawon remained expressionless, though internally he was shaken. His uncle hadn’t seen anything. He had only noticed the CCTV was off during the day and wanted an excuse to berate Dawon. He had to keep up the act.“I lost focus because of the noise. The alarm went off suddenly, and I couldn’t concentrate with all the commotion….”“Now you’re blaming us? You caused all that ruckus, chasing us out of the house, and now you’re complaining about noise? You’ve got some nerve.”Dawon knew this would end in a beating. If he had to be hit, he’d rather it be from the youngest uncle. He deliberately provoked him, but it backfired.“Ugh…!”Before the youngest uncle could react, the eldest slapped Dawon again, sending his head jerking to the side. The sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed through the room.The eldest uncle’s face remained calm as he struck Dawon, convinced he was delivering a profound lesson.“The youngest is right. You’ve been getting too comfortable lately. What do you think you can achieve like this? If we didn’t feed you and take care of you, what could you possibly do?”“Ugh….”“You’re causing too much trouble, Dawon. We’re struggling as it is. Why are you making things harder? Listen carefully, Dawon. We’re doing this for your own good.”“Ah, stop…!”As Dawon collapsed, the eldest uncle stomped on his chest, careful not to touch his right arm.‘Just kill me. Break my arm and throw me out.’But Dawon’s wishes were futile. The only things that repeated were the endless pain and miserable daily life.Desperate to escape the reality of his situation, Dawon thought of other things—the back of a ballerina, a dancer holding a monk’s severed head, a sea of mint and red, droplets of paint on a canvas.And above all, he thought of the intense moment he met the man. The sharp eyes, the lips holding a cigarette, the silver dragon on the ashtray, the sweet scent, the inexplicable questions, and February 29th.‘Who do you want to kill?’At the sound of the man’s voice ringing clearly once more, Dawon waved his hand to point ahead but lost consciousness and collapsed.Dawon often wished the world would end when he woke up. Of course, that was also an unattainable wish. After a hard night, the sun rose relentlessly.Dawon glared at the sunlight piercing through the curtains with eyes that were swollen and hard to open. There had never been a pleasant day, but today seemed particularly tough. His body ached everywhere from being beaten, and because he had fainted, a day’s worth of work remained undone.“Ugh, huh…”Dawon staggered into the bathroom attached to his room. His chest was bruised blue, and his lips were badly split. Inside his mouth was even worse; when he spat out the rinse water, it came out bright red with blood.Dawon watched the blood-tinged water drain away listlessly before dragging his legs over to the easel.‘Going to that house yesterday was the right thing to do.’The words he recalled to soothe himself turned into a question while he was layering paint over semi-dry colors. Was it really? Could it be considered the right thing even if the man didn’t accept Dawon’s proposal?Dawon, always confined to the same place, was clumsy at imagining his future. No matter how much he thought, all he could envision was himself rotting or drying out in this place. Therefore, Dawon spent most of his empty time ruminating and analyzing the past.He replayed the time he met and talked with the man yesterday over and over again, until every small memory became a piece of a puzzle. The more he did, the more regrets surfaced.Mentioning the calendar was a mistake. The man would have realized that Dawon was an isolated human being. What could Dawon do even if he knew the man killed people? He had no one to tell other than his uncles, let alone report it.‘He seemed smart. He’ll probably ignore my words. But that’s okay. Nothing would change anyway.’As long as the man stayed there, Dawon could keep watching him, analyzing him, and looking for another opportunity. But.‘But… what if he leaves for somewhere else?’The moment he imagined the man disappearing beyond the window, Dawon’s brush stopped in mid-air. If that happened, that would be the end of Dawon’s story. He would be forever trapped in the same hamster wheel.Perhaps that was the natural conclusion. Hope didn’t suit Dawon. His hope might only exist far away, like in paintings or the scenery beyond the window, on the outskirts of life.‘Did I do something stupid? Would it have been better just to watch?’Just as regret was washing over him, a loud noise came from outside the window. A situation he had never seen unfolded in the alley in front of the house. A familiar black car was parked at the gate of Dawon’s house, and the security system’s alarm was ringing loudly.‘That’s… isn’t that the car from across the street? Did they ram into our gate?’

Dawon narrowed his eyes, observing the situation. While the men from across the street got out of the car to check the gate, the youngest uncle, full of anger, crossed the garden.When the youngest uncle, having found a reason to fight, pointed and shouted, the men from across the street unexpectedly bowed their heads. The conversation seemed to conclude smoothly, but Dawon’s heart was pounding.‘What’s going on here?’It was strange that the man’s men, who preferred handling things quietly, would suddenly ram into the gate and even apologize to the youngest uncle, whom they usually mocked. The anticipation of something happening made him excited again.However, no meal was brought to his room by lunchtime, even though he had been working on the painting. Dawon guessed the eldest uncle was still home. It was the rule of the eldest uncle not to give Dawon food the day after a beating. His theory was that ‘a brat who doesn’t earn his keep should starve.’‘…Anyway, even if I ate now, all I’d taste is blood.’With blood residue rolling around in his mouth and his stomach growling, Dawon stubbornly continued painting. Just as he finished one painting, the doorbell rang.Looking through the curtain gap, Dawon’s eyes widened. Two men stood at the gate. One of the man’s subordinates was ringing the bell, and standing behind him was…‘No way.’Even after rubbing his eyes in surprise, the man in a suit at the gate didn’t disappear. It was the man from across the street who had come to Dawon’s house.Though Dawon didn’t understand why, he immediately got up. He lay flat on the floor in a spot where he could hear sounds from the first floor, pressing his ear to the ground.“How… did you come here…”The eldest uncle seemed very surprised by the man’s appearance. While he was stuttering, the man’s footsteps headed towards the living room. Unlike the cold, dry voice Dawon had heard yesterday, he spoke in a calm, almost friendly tone.“I heard my men caused a big inconvenience today. I’ve come to apologize.”“Oh, um…”After hesitating briefly, the eldest uncle seemed to decide to treat the man as a guest. Although he always called the people from across the street ‘thugs’ behind their backs, he wouldn’t dare say that to their faces.“No need for apologies. Dohyung, what are you doing? Bring some tea.”“It’s alright. Rather… please accept this. It’s separate from the repair costs; it’s just to show my sincere apologies.”The eldest uncle let out an excited “Oh,” upon receiving something from the man.“Oh, this is quite something…”“I hope you like it. I didn’t have much time to prepare anything impressive.”“Whisky, of course, I love it. Oh my, this is really good liquor…”The eldest uncle liked alcohol, especially expensive ones. Had he listened to what Dawon said yesterday? The man had successfully won over the eldest uncle’s favor in no time.The eldest uncle was laughing contentedly, focused on the whisky, but to Dawon, the situation downstairs seemed odd. Judging by how quickly they came, it seemed like the car hitting the gate was an intentional act to create an excuse to visit this house.However, the man’s intentions were completely unreadable. Moreover, why was he acting so friendly, even bringing gifts? Was his visit related to Dawon’s request from yesterday?“We should exchange business cards. Here’s mine.”“Thank you. You’re Director Ryu from Seochang Construction.”Dawon had heard of that company. His uncles often mocked that modern gangsters put on names like ‘Seochang Construction’ or ‘Guyeong Industry’ to seem like regular companies.However, while Dawon vaguely knew that people earned money at ‘companies,’ he didn’t know what ‘Director’ meant. Just as he was wondering if it was the man’s name, the man, as if reading Dawon’s thoughts, added:“Yes. Ryu Taehan.”Ryu Taehan. As Dawon repeated the name in his mind, the man and the uncle exchanged trivial conversation about whisky, construction, and the clean air in the neighborhood.The man’s intentions became even more mysterious. Why was he wasting time with such meaningless talk when he had always been so strict with his subordinates for the slightest delay? He even asked the eldest uncle questions.“May I ask what sort of work you do?”“Ah, I’m an antique art dealer.”“What kind of antiques do you deal in?”“Though we live in such squalor, you can think of us as handling the most expensive paintings in Korea. We have many masterpieces you’d only see in museums.”The eldest uncle boasted as if he had done something remarkable. Of course, those ‘masterpieces’ were all created by Dawon’s hands. Dawon forced back a sneer.Even though he knew from Dawon that the paintings the eldest uncle sold were forgeries, the man not only didn’t point it out but even echoed the uncle’s claims with admiration. Then he said something even more incomprehensible.“That’s fortunate. I was actually looking for such items. Could I see the paintings you have?”Taehan unbuttoned his shirt cuffs and removed his wristwatch. He rolled up his sleeves twice, making sure they stayed in place. Although he disliked wrinkling his shirt, it would have to be discarded if it got blood on it.After adjusting his appearance, Taehan slowly rotated his wrist. There was no need to put on a threatening expression; handling such matters with a calm and everyday demeanor often made them more frightening.Moreover, slightly revealing his pheromones, which were usually kept hidden, would make the situation clear to his opponent. Taehan’s vivid and striking pheromones instilled a primal fear in alphas.Prepared, Taehan took out a cigarette from his inner pocket. In front of him, a man with a bruised and bloodied face was tied to a chair. As Taehan lit the cigarette, the lighter’s flame flickered eerily in the basement’s darkness.“Suck,” Taehan commanded in a low voice, pushing the cigarette filter between the man’s lips. The man desperately inhaled the smoke, coughing violently.“Cough, cough….”The man spat out blood mixed with a broken tooth. The tooth bounced and landed near Taehan’s shoe. Taehan wiped his shoe with a cloth from the table, a faint smile of disgust on his lips.“Boss. There’s no need for this. I only did what the director told me to do.”Mistaking Taehan’s smile for kindness, the bound man began to plead. Taehan ignored his words and stubbed out the cigarette the man had touched in a portable ashtray. He hated seeing ashes on the floor.“We have a history together…. You raised me from when I couldn’t tell shit from Shinola. I may not know anything else, but I’ve always respected your territory….”“Gwangwoo,” Taehan interrupted, nodding to his secretary, Gwangwoo. Gwangwoo loosened the rope slightly, freeing one of the man’s arms and pinning his wrist to the table. Taehan drew a jackknife from his back pocket.“As you said, I took in a useless piece of shit who couldn’t tell shit from Shinola, and now he’s trying to bite the hand that feeds him. What should I do about that?”With a click, the jackknife’s blade flicked open. Without hesitation, Taehan plunged the sharp blade next to the man’s little finger.“Huh….”Taehan calmly pulled out the knife and stabbed it again, this time between the man’s middle and ring fingers. The man gasped in horror.“Ah, ah, aah!”“Don’t move, or you’ll get hurt. Or maybe you don’t care? You must have been prepared to lose a few fingers when you betrayed the chairman.”“No, that’s not it….”“Right. It’s not. When I disciplined you, I never said to just cut off your fingers. If you get stabbed in the back, you should lose your head.”Taehan shone a small flashlight on one side of the basement wall, revealing a large butcher knife, a hand axe, and a hacksaw, all stained with reddish liquid.The man began to struggle even harder, now realizing the source of the pungent smell he had noticed upon entering the basement.“No, no! Betraying the chairman….”“Then what?”“That’s…. You know it too, boss. If the chairman had chosen you as his successor, the director wouldn’t have complained!”“….”“What does Gihyuk have that you don’t, besides being the madam’s biological son? Handing the organization’s future to such a half-wit….”Cornered, the man babbled recklessly. Taehan didn’t disagree with his words; Serve Construction’s heir and Taehan’s half-brother, Gihyuk, was indeed incompetent.However, Taehan wasn’t foolish enough to sympathize with such talk at this moment. The truth of the words only irritated him more.Taehan brought the jackknife to the man’s face. The cold blade against his cheek made the man’s body stiffen.“Why is your tongue so long? Makes me want to cut it off.”The man began to tremble uncontrollably. Holding the knife steadily against his skin, Taehan paused thoughtfully.“Well, I don’t intend to cut the throats of every little punk. Following orders isn’t a capital offense. You just chose the wrong side.”“Yes, yes! Boss! If you spare me this one time, I swear I’ll be loyal….”“But to spare you, I need a reason. You know how it works in this business. Even thugs need a justification.”Desperate, the man racked his brain for something to save himself. At that moment, Taehan slowly turned the flashlight to illuminate the opposite wall of the basement, revealing a small safe. The sight of it drained the color from the man’s face.“You know what that is, right?”“No, no, I don’t…. Ah….”Taehan pressed the man, who was at a loss for words.“You ended up like this because you chose the wrong side, and you still don’t get it? Director Hwang is half-dead. You still don’t understand?”“….”“That thing? Just call a technician to open it. The problem is justification. You’re begging for your life, but you can’t even offer this much?”Taehan’s harsh words finally broke the man. He closed his eyes and began to recite a sequence of numbers.“7, 2….”Gwangwoo moved to the safe and entered the numbers as the man stammered them out. After the six-digit code was entered, the safe beeped and opened.Taehan smiled softly, lifting the corners of his mouth. Relieved, the man spoke with his battered face twitching.“Boss, can I have that cigarette again…. Ugh.”Before the man could finish his sentence, Taehan plunged the jackknife into his ribcage. The man couldn’t even scream properly, a wheezing sound escaping his lips before falling silent. As the man’s eyes glazed over, Taehan stepped back and examined himself.Noticing a few blood droplets on his shirt, Taehan frowned slightly. Gwangwoo handed him a fresh shirt, which Taehan took while calmly issuing an order.“Clean up as usual.”As Taehan changed his shirt, he glanced inside the now-open safe. Although it had been a challenge for weeks, his expression remained impassive.Looking at the lifeless body still tied to the chair, Taehan’s face showed no remorse. The repetitive nature of such ‘tasks’ had long since numbed any guilt. Even if the man had believed until the end that Taehan would spare him, it made no difference.Lying was inconsequential to Taehan if it served his purpose. That was the kind of man he was.‘Idiot,’ Taehan thought as he looked at the dead man. Revealing important secrets to someone who held your life in their hands was tantamount to suicide.The man probably didn’t realize the significance of what he had revealed, even as the knife pierced his ribs.In this world, the weak and foolish could not survive, especially in this line of work. Taehan despised stupid thugs who couldn’t see beyond their immediate desires, blindly offering their necks to the slaughter.“Sir, the president is on the phone.”After changing his clothes and coming upstairs, Gwangwoo handed Taehan his phone. The caller, Gihyuk, was also a type of person Taehan despised.However, Gihyuk had the advantage of bloodline. Although not from a prestigious family, being the boss’s son in a world of thugs who valued status was an unassailable position.“Boss.”Of course, Taehan was well aware of his place and limitations as a ‘thug.’ Since being dragged into his biological father’s house at the age of ten, Taehan, the son of a concubine, had never defied his foolish half-brother.― Hey, Taehan. I heard it’s been taken care of.“Yes. I just finished the job.”― That bastard. He thought he could hide from me. No one I set my mind on catching has ever escaped. Ha ha….Gihyuk had never failed to catch his targets because Taehan was always the one who handled them. Yet, Gihyuk always took credit for Taehan’s work.He was rude and greedy, and foolishly believed that Taehan was truly his lackey.― Oh, by the way, the guy we dealt with today. Rumor has it he hid the safe that Director Hwang stole at his place. Did you see it?The safe was actually found at the house of another associate they had dealt with last month, and they had just succeeded in opening it. However, Taehan lied smoothly.“The safe? I’m not sure. I didn’t find anything special. If you give me a moment, I’ll send someone back to check again.”― Never mind, it’s probably not something small enough to hide. If you didn’t see it, it’s not there. And I’m really busy today. Oh, Taehan, do you want to come? I’m going to the opera later. I’m close with the organizers, so I can get you a ticket right away.“I don’t have that kind of interest.”― Damn. You only know work. You should enjoy some culture too.While Gihyuk talked about the opera, some of the organization’s members were heading to the basement with bleach and buckets to clean up the aftermath. Taehan barely suppressed a laugh.― Well, good job. Now we just need to catch a few more small fries and Director Hwang, and we’ll be done.“There’s still work to be done on the Guyeong side.”― Ha ha, that can be done slowly after the succession. You’re always so impatient. Oh, by the way, how did the dividends from Daewon Finance turn out?Gihyuk then asked about the company’s slush funds that had been secretly diverted to purchase stocks. Although Serve Construction was not a legitimate company and the money had been laundered several times, Gihyuk openly discussed these illicit details loudly.“We’ll have to wait for the shareholders’ meeting results, but it looks like we’ll get a significant amount this quarter. I’ll clean it up and put it in your mother’s account as soon as it’s paid.”Gihyuk knew nothing about investments or stocks. Most of his accounts, including dozens of shell accounts, were managed by Taehan. As long as some profit trickled down, Gihyuk didn’t care about the specifics of the money flow.Thanks to Gihyuk’s stupidity, Taehan had secured a considerable amount of hidden funds that Gihyuk couldn’t even imagine. With the right timing, Taehan could easily strangle him with money.― Really? I don’t know anything about money matters. If you’re happy, Ryu, then I’m happy. Anyway, take it easy, okay? Bye.The gleeful tone in Gihyuk’s voice as he talked about the money was disgusting. Taehan hung up the phone expressionlessly and quickly headed to the garden. He fumbled in his pocket for a cigarette, feeling parched. The harsh smoke slightly quenched his thirst.“Phew….”Taehan exhaled the smoke and looked at the two-story house across the street. Choosing this house as a base for Serve Construction’s succession process wasn’t just because it was secluded.Coincidentally or intentionally, this house faced another two-story house associated with Serve’s rival organization, ‘Guyeong Industries.’ The trail of money and the regular comings and goings of their members confirmed it.‘They haven’t shown their faces since we came here. I guess Guyeong’s people aren’t that stupid.’Taehan had been systematically cutting off Guyeong’s financial lifelines since the succession process began. With half of the internal traitors connected to them, it was a natural course of action.After a year of manipulation, Guyeong had lost most of their profitable businesses, and their projects had all failed. Yet, the organization still limped along, indicating another source of funding. Taehan suspected the shabby two-story house across the street was Guyeong’s lifeline.‘Drugs? No, if it were drugs, their dealers wouldn’t be struggling so much. What could they be doing in this rural area?’The only people frequently seen at that house were middle-aged men who didn’t seem like organization members. The occasional visitors also didn’t fit the profile of drug addicts or gamblers.Taehan stared more intently at the fence. Although not urgent, he wanted to finish his work before Gihyuk ruined Serve Construction. The more he accomplished, the larger his share would be.‘And once Serve swallows Guyeong and grows….’All of it had to become Taehan’s property. If not for his long-held ambition, Taehan would have given up on enduring the hatred among these stupid thugs long ago. As he took a deeper drag of his cigarette to calm himself, he noticed something.‘Hmm?’Through the hazy smoke, he saw a small gap in the curtains of the two-story house across the street. A pale, thin figure seemed to be watching from behind the glass.Taehan had confirmed the three men who regularly visited that house. Yet, his subordinates mentioned a young man who occasionally strolled in the garden.Taehan had yet to see this fourth man. The dark crack in the window hinted at his presence. Although it was just a small gap, it strangely captivated Taehan, as if a crack had formed in his own heart.‘It’s gone.’After a while, the gap disappeared again, likely closed from inside. To Taehan, it seemed like a small light being swallowed by darkness.Many people came and went, but the house felt lifeless, like a giant tomb. With seven bodies buried in his own yard, the view from Taehan’s house was equally grim.‘I don’t like the feeling of this.’Taehan stubbed out his cigarette. Although it shouldn’t bother him, handling ‘jobs’ always left him with unnecessary excitement and tension. As he entered the house, Gwangwoo took his jacket and reported the progress.“The basement has been cleaned up. The rest of the work will be done overnight as usual. And….”“And?”“For tomorrow’s appointment, should I arrange for the same person as last time?”As Taehan was about to answer, he noticed a small bloodstain on the sleeve of the jacket he had just taken off. It must have gotten there when they brought the target into the car.“…No, he was too fragile. Call the omega from two weeks ago instead.”“Oh, the tall one.”“Yes. He should be able to handle it. And throw away that jacket.”Taehan gave the order indifferently and headed to the shower. Even under the cold water, the burning sensation in his chest didn’t fade. This discomfort was why he called for an omega the day after finishing a ‘job.’The next day, an omega sent by the agency arrived at Taehan’s room. The organization’s members left the house without needing instructions. Taehan, wearing only a robe, looked at the omega with a cold expression.“Sir, thank you for having me again. I’ll do my best to satisfy you today…. Ah!”The omega acted coquettishly, despite his large build. His flushed cheeks might not have been an act. Taehan’s pheromones, which instilled fear in alphas, were a stimulant for omegas.“Ah, uh, huh….”Despite the seductive scent, Taehan’s demeanor was ruthless. He pushed the omega, who hadn’t even finished greeting him, onto the bed and immediately began the act. No words, no preparation.To the omega, Taehan’s movements were brutal, as if trying to crush his windpipe. For Taehan, sex was a release. Whether it was desire and instinct, or anxiety and anger, it made no difference.He didn’t particularly prefer men, but lately, he chose male omegas because he could be rough without consequence.Even as he forcefully pressed against the omega, Taehan’s face remained stern. No matter how he tried to vent, the emotions burning and boiling within him never seemed to dissipate.“Ah, sir. Ah, ah….”As the omega moaned, Taehan’s brow furrowed deeper. Suddenly, the bedroom door swung open without a knock. Alert, Taehan stopped mid-thrust and looked up. Standing at the door was an unfamiliar boy.The boy looked like a starved herbivore, with a thin, unstable body and a pale, gaunt face. His eyes were bright, but his long eyelashes cast a reddish shadow beneath them.‘That’s….’Taehan recognized him instantly. He was the fourth man from the two-story house across the street—the boy Taehan had been unable to find.‘He’s just a kid. Fifteen? Seventeen?’His age was hard to guess. Though small in stature and youthful in appearance, there was an eerie maturity in his eyes. He seemed both young and old, a fragile figure frozen in time.“I want someone dead.”The boy spoke with a calm yet determined gaze, unafraid despite his ignorance of the world. Taehan admired his composure, sensing a sharp intelligence behind his naivety.‘He’s smarter than the average thug.’As Taehan contemplated this, the boy shifted his weight, his shoulders swaying. His short pants revealed thin ankles, one of which was severely emaciated, barely more than skin and bone.The sight of his fragility stirred something within Taehan. The boy’s delicate features and long, slender neck captivated him, contrasting with the robust figure he had just been with.“I’m twenty-one.”The boy’s age, slightly older than Taehan had guessed, made him pause. He had momentarily entertained inappropriate thoughts about this frail, crippled beta.‘Wait, is he really a beta?’The boy had no scent, yet Taehan felt a strange sensation in his own chest, a fluttering as if something within him was awakening.“By the way, kid. Do you smell something in this room?”The boy pondered the question, his pale face contrasting with his vivid red lips.“There’s a scent I’ve never smelled before… I don’t know what it is.”Satisfied, Taehan sent the boy away. He followed him to the entrance, watching his limping gait closely.“I-I’m sorry, sir. We don’t know how this happened….”As the intruder slowly left the house, Gwangwoo approached Taehan, bowing his head in apology. Taehan scanned the garden, guessing how the boy had managed to slip in.“…If anyone is caught smoking in that spot again, burn out their eyes with a cigarette.”Gwangwoo was taken aback, not by the harsh words, but by Taehan’s uncharacteristic leniency. Normally, he would have acted immediately and brutally.“Yes, understood. And should I arrange for another omega right away?”Taehan realized he hadn’t finished his routine. However, he had no desire for another omega. His gaze was fixed on the faint light coming from the two-story house across the alley.“No need. There’s something else I need to check immediately.”Taehan wasn’t entirely distracted by the boy’s lingering scent. From the boy’s fragmented words, he confirmed that he was the last financial lifeline for Guyeong Industries.Taehan instructed Gwangwoo to investigate Choi Beomsik, the art dealer. Gwangwoo, bewildered by the sudden shift from violence to art dealing, struggled to keep up.‘Art dealing… Gihyuk would love this.’Taehan’s eyes narrowed as he thought about the implications. He instructed Gwangwoo to trace Choi Beomsik’s accounts and those associated with Guyeong.“I’ll look into Choi Beomsik’s accounts and the shell accounts linked to Guyeong. Anything else?”“There’s an art auction next Wednesday. Look into that as well. And….”Taehan hesitated, almost mentioning the boy but deciding against it. He felt a strange protectiveness, not wanting to expose the boy’s secrets to anyone, not even his trusted secretary.‘His name was Kwon Dawon. He’ll be useful, one way or another.’Taehan’s usually stern face hid a growing curiosity and intensity as he gazed at the small window across the alley.“I’d like to see the paintings you have…. What do you think?”Taehan’s question was filled with a strange confidence. Dawon, listening from the floor above, felt a mix of fear and anticipation.“Right… now?”The eldest uncle, usually boastful, stammered in response to Taehan’s request. He was cautious about showing the paintings, especially to unexpected visitors. The storage room was next to Dawon’s room, and he was always warned to stay quiet and hidden.“Yes, right now.”Despite his hesitation, the eldest uncle couldn’t refuse. Dawon imagined the intense, serpent-like gaze Taehan must be giving him.“Ah, well… this way….”Dawon moved closer to the wall adjoining the storage room, pressing his ear against it. He heard the door open and the sound of footsteps and voices.“Next week, the items to be auctioned have already been set aside, but there are still some decent pieces left. Be careful not to touch anything. The insurance premiums alone are in the millions, so these are very valuable paintings.”Taehan didn’t respond to the eldest uncle’s boasting. He quietly surveyed the room, leaving Dawon curious. What would it feel like to hear such praise for paintings he knew were fakes? What was Taehan thinking as he walked around the storage room?Even after careful observation, Taehan remained an enigma to Dawon. Their conversation the day before had only deepened this mystery.Dawon imagined Taehan examining his paintings in the storage room. Although they were merely mechanical reproductions, the thought of Taehan’s piercing gaze falling on them made his lips dry.“Oh, that one over there….”As Taehan’s footsteps approached the wall adjoining Dawon’s studio, the eldest uncle hurriedly called out to him.“Why are you doing this?”Taehan’s voice rang clear and close. Dawon held his breath, listening as the eldest uncle replied with a hint of embarrassment.“Those paintings are still drying, so I was worried you might get paint on you.”“Still drying? They look quite old.”“Well, you see… it’s, it’s restoration! The restoration work isn’t finished yet. Ahaha….”“Ah, I see.”Taehan seemed to play along, taking a step back, but added a meaningful remark.“I thought I heard something from this wall….”Dawon could almost hear the color draining from the eldest uncle’s face. Meanwhile, Taehan’s voice held a note of amusement.“Must have been a mouse.”Dawon recalled Taehan calling him an ‘interesting little rat.’ He was sure Taehan knew he was behind the wall. Taehan then brought up a topic that made Dawon’s ears perk up.“A moment ago, you mentioned an upcoming auction. Are there any restrictions on who can participate?”“Oh, no. If you’re interested, feel free to come. It’s next Wednesday.”“Hmm. I should be free then.”The auction house was the only place Dawon was allowed to visit. His heart pounded as he realized Taehan might be there.“I’ll be going now. See you again.”To Dawon, this farewell felt like a promise directed at him.‘March 6th.’As the clock struck midnight, Dawon mentally marked the date. According to his 14-year-old calendar, it was March 10th, but he needed to adjust to the correct date.It was past midnight when he finally finished his day’s work. Exhausted, he put down his brush, which felt heavier than usual.“Phew….”His painting time, already near its limit, had been extended by an hour due to the eldest uncle’s demands. With Taehan and his men frequently visiting, Dawon couldn’t even take his usual walk to rest.‘…But it’s okay.’Dawon rotated his aching wrist, thinking about the strange atmosphere in the house lately. Something was brewing, and Taehan was at the center of it.A few days ago, Taehan had offered to buy one of the paintings in the storage room. The eldest uncle was thrilled, as the large Baroque-style painting was a commissioned piece left unclaimed after the client disappeared.〈It would suit the person I serve.〉Dawon couldn’t understand Taehan’s reasoning. While some people knowingly bought fakes, the price varied depending on whether the buyer knew it was a forgery. Taehan had paid an inflated price, knowing it was fake, and continued to ingratiate himself with the uncles.Earlier that day, the youngest uncle had boasted about a place Taehan had taken him to.〈It was amazing. She looked innocent but sucked like her life depended on it. Isn’t that what thugs do for fun? If it’s that good, you should know how to handle it too, you little…〉〈Hey.〉The eldest uncle cut him off, and the youngest uncle sheepishly scratched his head before turning his attention to Dawon.〈Yeah, it was that good. Hmph… But look at this kid, acting like he doesn’t know what he’s missing. He’s never even been near a place like that.〉Unlike what the youngest uncle said, Dawon knew all too well about such places. He had grown up in one. His mother was a prostitute, and he was raised in a brothel, drawing portraits of her and her colleagues.Rumors spread about the talented boy who couldn’t go to school, leading the eldest uncle to offer him an art education.〈Dawon, my dear. Your mother shouldn’t have brought you here.〉His mother wasn’t the brightest, and her choice had cost her life. In her final moments, she had urged Dawon to leave.Dawon gently pulled back the curtain, revealing the faint light from the neighboring house. He had been feeling strange sensations lately, like dizziness and a fluttering in his chest, especially when looking at that house.As he gazed at the light, the curtain in the neighboring window fluttered, revealing a silhouette. Dawon was sure it was Taehan. He felt a shiver run down his spine, recalling Taehan’s chilling farewell.‘Tomorrow, no, today. I’ll see him again.’Dawon watched the light and the silhouette until they disappeared, feeling a mix of anticipation and anxiety.The first art auction of the year always drew a large crowd. As Dawon entered the building, he saw elegantly dressed attendees admiring the displayed paintings.