D Minus

“We’re looking for Shin Jonghwa. He’s very important to us.”The man in the jacket spoke politely. Hajin, snapping back to reality, rubbed his wind-chilled cheeks with the back of his hand.“You must have the wrong address.”“Sorry?”“There’s no such person here.”“Oh… We understand this is a sensitive matter. We’re here to protect Shin Jonghwa. He’s in a very dangerous situation right now.”The man spoke gently, as if trying to persuade Hajin. Hugging his elbows, Hajin frowned and shook his head.“I don’t know what you’re talking about. This isn’t his house.”“Sir, you need to cooperate. We know he’s here, so why are you lying?”The edge in the man’s voice was sharp. The other man sighed in frustration. Blocking the entrance, Hajin firmly shook his head again, his red cheeks looking stubborn.“Why would I lie to the police? I really don’t know anyone by that name.”“Do you live alone?”“No, with a friend.”“Who is your friend?”“Do I have to tell you that? Even if you’re the police, this is too much. You’re harassing someone who has nothing to do with this.”As Hajin’s voice grew irritated, the questioning man fell silent and exchanged glances with his companion. Hajin, looking tired, covered his neck with his hand and continued.“Sorry. I don’t have much time left. I’m terminally ill.”He wasn’t the type to share his personal story with strangers.“Oh… really?”“Yes, I’m a bit sensitive because I’m not well. Sorry.”“No, it’s understandable.”Apologizing quickly, the man’s expression brightened. Breathing heavily, Hajin tapped his chest with his fist a couple of times.“Sorry, but I need to rest. I shouldn’t overexert myself.”“Oh…”It was a clear signal for them to leave, but the unwelcome visitors exchanged looks as if stalling for time. Hajin sighed loudly and pointed inside with his chin.“If you don’t believe me, come in and check.”“Excuse us, but may we? Shin Jonghwa is very important to us.”“Go ahead.”“Thank you for your cooperation.”Hajin stepped aside willingly. The two men entered, saying a loud ‘excuse us’ to the empty house and took off their shoes. Hajin’s hand visibly trembled as he closed the front door.There’s no government ID that looks like that. It was well-made, but having been a teacher until recently, Hajin could tell. These men looking for Jonghwa were not police.“Park Hajin?”“That’s me.”Hiding his trembling hand in his pocket, Hajin watched as the man in the jacket inspected his room while the man in the padded jacket checked the living room. The latter stared at the rubber tree adorned with yellow ribbons and called to his companion.“Isn’t this written by Shin Jonghwa?”“What are you talking about? That guy’s illiterate.”“Oh, right.”The wish ribbons had helped. With his hearing sharpened by anxiety, Hajin eavesdropped on their conversation. As the men searched the house suspiciously, their final destination was Jonghwa’s room.Hajin’s heart pounded so fast he feared it might stop. This ordeal surely shortened his life by a week. Racking his brain for any traces of Jonghwa, he fortunately couldn’t think of any. Jonghwa had brought very few belongings.“Haven’t you seen enough? I didn’t say you could search so thoroughly.”Though his voice wavered slightly, the men rifling through Jonghwa’s wardrobe didn’t seem to notice. Worried they might find any clues about Jonghwa, Hajin grew increasingly agitated and blocked their way.“Sorry about that.”“Please leave now. I need to rest.”“Understood.”To Hajin’s surprise, the men stood up readily. Though shaking so much his teeth chattered, he pretended to be composed. Closely following the two men into the living room, Hajin’s heart sank to his stomach.Park Hajin Shin JonghwaHe had completely forgotten about the whiteboard in the corner of the living room. A few days ago, Jonghwa had proudly written their names, saying he wouldn’t get it wrong anymore. The sight made Hajin’s world go dark. He couldn’t see or hear anything, just the frantic pounding of his heart.“Would you like something to drink?”Diverting their attention was the first priority. When they entered, the whiteboard had been behind them, but now it was right in front of them. Smiling awkwardly, Hajin pointed to the table, inviting them to sit. His trembling voice was more noticeable this time.“You must be thirsty. Have a drink before you go.”Deliberately gesturing exaggeratedly, he tried to draw their attention. Pointing to the table, he urged them to sit, while the man in the jacket narrowed his eyes. In such a critical moment, panic and fear overwhelmed his rational mind.“…Please, have a drink before you go.”His voice, almost breaking, was a mess. Standing awkwardly in front of the whiteboard, Hajin forced another smile and pointed to the table again. The other man looked puzzled, glancing between Hajin and the kitchen. Fearing they might hear his pounding heart, Hajin tried desperately to stay composed.“Thank you.”Fortunately, it seemed they hadn’t noticed. The man in the padded jacket was the first to turn towards the kitchen. Hajin planned to quickly erase the letters if the man in the jacket turned his back as well.“Excuse me.”“…”But the man who introduced himself as ‘Inspector Han Sewon’ frustratingly didn’t move an inch from where he stood. The loud pounding of Hajin’s heart was now inaudible.“Excuse me.”“Yes?”Han Sewon looked straight at Hajin and spoke.“You knew, didn’t you?”A twisted smile spread across his face. The man who had sat at the table also returned to his place. Hajin’s hands shook visibly as he faced them. His legs felt weak, as if he might collapse at any moment.“Move your head.”The sound of footsteps approaching was suffocatingly terrifying.“No…!”The man grabbed Hajin’s hair and threw him to the floor. Jonghwa’s name, which Hajin had been desperately trying to cover, was fully exposed on the whiteboard, and the men laughed mockingly.“Hey, where’s Shin Jonghwa?”Their previous act had ended, and a menacing aura now surrounded them. Gasping for breath, Hajin shook his head frantically after hitting his head against the wall.“What is it? Is he your boyfriend?”The man knelt in front of Hajin, meeting his eyes as he spoke. Hajin kept his lips tightly shut and lowered his head, pretending not to hear, but his chin was soon grabbed and lifted. The man teasingly patted Hajin’s cheek with his rough hand before slapping him hard. A red handprint appeared instantly on Hajin’s soft, white skin. Tears of pain welled up in his wide eyes.“Listen. You can’t just defy us. We might tear you limb from limb and feed you to the dogs.”The man in the padded jacket added more threats. Grabbing Hajin’s pronounced shoulder blades, he squeezed hard enough to make a grinding noise. Hajin gritted his teeth, stifling a groan, and quickly tried to think of a way out. They said even in a tiger’s den, you can survive if you stay calm. Though fear threatened to overwhelm him, he focused all his attention on staying rational.“Get a knife from the kitchen. If he doesn’t talk, we’ll just cut his mouth open.”The conversation grew more dangerous. Hajin, wide-eyed, pressed his hands to the floor and assumed a crawling position. The man in the jacket raised an eyebrow. Hajin exaggerated the trembling of his hands.“I’m sorry for lying. I just don’t have the money right now. I’m a victim too. I really didn’t know. I lent him the money because he said he’d pay it back, but he ran away. I don’t know how much he borrowed from you, but if there’s any under my name, I’ll pay it back. Please don’t hit me. I might really die…”Words poured out like a waterfall. Tears dangling from his eyelashes fell to the floor. Though fake, they were convincing enough. The men exchanged glances and shrugged. This was the moment to push forward. Hajin clasped his trembling hands and raised his voice, sobbing.“Shin Jonghwa said he needed money for hospital bills. I gave him the money. I’ll pay you back soon. I have insurance worth 300 million won. I can pay you back with that. Please don’t hit me.”It was starting to work. As improvisations go, it was quite believable. The man behind him toyed with Hajin’s thin hair, asking,“Where’s Shin Jonghwa?”“I don’t know. I’m going crazy too… He’s been borrowing money everywhere under my name and hasn’t come home for over a month. He doesn’t have a phone, so I can’t contact him. I’m losing my mind… Debt collectors keep coming… That’s why I lied, I’m sorry.”The longer he talked, the calmer his voice became. This wouldn’t do. Hajin covered his face with his hands and sobbed loudly. The men, who had seemed ready to rip his mouth open, quieted down, somewhat convinced by his act. Though his heart pounded painfully, Hajin bit his lip to endure it. Jonghwa needed to come home as late as possible. His worry for Jonghwa was greater than his own fear.“What if you’re lying?”“I’m not lying. I can show you my bank account. There’s a bank nearby. You’ll see the withdrawals. It was in cash because Jonghwa said he didn’t have an account. I should’ve suspected something back then…”His voice, which had been soaked in desperation, now trembled with feigned anger and betrayal towards Jonghwa. He had a fleeting thought that maybe he should become an actor.“I don’t think he’s lying. That guy can’t make an account without a family registry.”The man in the padded jacket seemed shaken. But Han Sewon was not so easily convinced. He still looked suspiciously around the house. One had to push when the enemy wavered. Hajin calmed his pounding heart and, with a surprised look, asked,“He doesn’t have a family registry?”“…”“Oh… that’s a problem…”Hajin’s eyes darted nervously. He bit his pale lips and spoke pleadingly, avoiding their gazes.“If you find Shin Jonghwa, could you let me know too? I need to get my money back… I’ll pay you double the amount I borrowed. I’m not lying. I just need to find Shin Jonghwa.”The sobbing had completely stopped. Hajin looked up at the men with a mix of fear and feigned anger towards Jonghwa. After some deliberation, the man who had been kneeling stood up. Now, only Hajin was left close to the floor. He let out a silent sigh of relief.“Call us when that bastard comes back.”“Pardon?”“If you hide him or lie again, we’ll kill you.”The man in the jacket wrote a contact number on the whiteboard. Thinking they had successfully deceived him, they lost interest in Hajin. But he couldn’t let his guard down yet. If he was going to deceive them, it had to be perfect, or he would face the consequences. Staring blankly at their retreating backs, Hajin mustered his courage and shouted.“Excuse me…!”His heartbeat was louder than his footsteps as he ran towards them. Hajin squeezed his eyes shut and reached out. The man, looking incredulous, glared at Hajin, who had grabbed his sleeve.“Please, please let me know too. I’ll contact you if Shin Jonghwa comes here, so if you catch him, let me know. Please…”He fit the role of a pitiable creditor with no hope of recovering his money perfectly. The man with a scowling face slapped Hajin hard across the cheek. Hajin, practically thrown to the ground, groaned in pain. His cheek felt like it was on fire. He was hit so hard that he worried he might have lost a tooth, and he felt dizzy.“You little bastard, know your place.”Bang. The door slammed shut. Hajin, holding his burning cheek, quickly got up. He pressed himself against the front door and peered outside through a small lens. He had successfully deceived them. He had expected them to stay around the house and keep watch, but surprisingly, their car drove out of the neighborhood without stopping. Being able to see the open road was an advantage at times like this.His tension finally eased. His trembling legs buckled. Leaning against the front door, Hajin rubbed his burning cheek with his palm. He hoped Jonghwa would come home a little later. He needed to pack their belongings so they could leave immediately.“Hey. I’m back.”As if his desperate wish had been heard, Jonghwa didn’t show up until the following night. Hajin, who hadn’t slept a wink, watching outside through the curtains, sighed in relief. It was almost midnight, a suitable time to escape.“Don’t take off your clothes. We’re going out again.”“What? Now? Where?”Jonghwa, who had started to take off his coat, hesitated. Hajin, after glancing outside again, threw the large bag he had packed at Jonghwa. He caught it clumsily, frowning in confusion.“Isn’t the car outside?”“The car? Oh, yes.”“Let’s go by car.”“What are you talking about all of a sudden? Where are we going?”“I’ll explain later. Let’s just go.”Hajin was so tense and scared he could barely breathe. Without another word, he grabbed Jonghwa’s wrist and pulled him. They had to escape before those men returned. The memory of those men casually talking about cutting open his mouth or tearing him apart to feed to dogs floated in his mind.“Let’s withdraw some money first and go to the countryside.”“…”“Come on, hurry…”Hajin’s words trailed off as he dragged Jonghwa towards the door. Jonghwa, with a twisted expression, grabbed Hajin by the chin and lifted his head. His wildly beating heart momentarily stilled, then started pounding faster than ever. Jonghwa’s eyelids trembled.“Damn it, what happened to your face?”“…”“Who did this?”“Just… let’s go…”“Who hit you?”His voice, calm and cold, was unfamiliar. Hajin’s long-held tears burst out in response to the hardness of his voice. But there was no time to waste. Even as tears streamed down his face, Hajin tried to pull Jonghwa’s wrist, but he didn’t budge.“Was it Big Brother’s lackeys?”“…”The growling voice was terrifying. Hajin shook his head vigorously. They needed to leave and talk later. But frustratingly, Jonghwa didn’t seem inclined to move until he got an answer. Only Hajin was growing more anxious.Jonghwa’s eyes flicked around and landed on the eleven-digit number written on the whiteboard. Narrowing his eyes and reading the number, he twisted his mouth.“Shin Jonghwa…!”Jonghwa easily brushed off Hajin’s hand and strode into the kitchen. Hajin, following behind, widened his eyes. Jonghwa was holding a gleaming kitchen knife. His cold, hard eyes foretold impending disaster.“Why are you holding that? Let’s go! We need to escape!”Hajin pleaded desperately, but it seemed Jonghwa couldn’t hear him. His face twisted in anger, Jonghwa glared at Hajin’s swollen cheek. His jaw was clenched so tight it created sharp angles.“It’s okay. I’ll kill them.”“What…”“I’ll kill them. Damn it, so it’s fine.”Jonghwa seemed unconcerned with his own safety. As if a few slaps were no big deal, his focus was solely on Hajin’s swollen face. Hajin felt a mix of sorrow, pain, and gratitude, and tears flowed more freely.“Just run away with me…”“…”“You promised to be with me until I die, didn’t you? Right?”His voice trembled badly. Hugging Jonghwa from behind, Hajin buried his face in Jonghwa’s back. As their body heat merged, the chills gripping him began to ease.Clang. With a chilling sound, the knife fell from Jonghwa’s hand. Hajin forcibly swallowed his tears and grabbed Jonghwa’s hand. Bracing himself against the rush of cold air as he opened the front door, Hajin led the way to the car. Thankfully, Jonghwa followed without a word.＊＊＊“The sound of water is nice.”“Yeah, it is.”The place they had escaped to was deep in the mountains. Though not completely isolated from people, it wasn’t a noticeable place either. Hajin had learned about it from a colleague he was somewhat close to during his teaching days. Thankfully, Jonghwa seemed quite satisfied with it.Tall trees rose high behind the old cabin, blocking it from view. In front of it flowed a clear stream. There was firewood in the yard for making a fire, and smoke gently rose from the square chimney on the roof. It had already been over two weeks since they arrived.“The wind is blowing hard. Aren’t you cold?”Everyone was satisfied, but if there was one downside, it was that it was too cold. No matter how early in winter it was, with the city’s water all freezing, there was no way it would be warm in the mountains. Hajin didn’t budge from his seat, even though he knew Jonghwa was nervously pacing around him. The crackling campfire in front of them was so beautiful that he wanted to gaze at it a little longer.“It’s like a house from the fairy tales I read when I was a kid.”“The Little Mermaid?”“The Little Mermaid didn’t have a house like this.”“Then?”“Um… maybe Pinocchio. Anyway. There’s a campfire in front of the cabin, smoke coming out of the chimney, and the light seeping out of the windows has to be this yellow. That’s what makes it pretty.”Hajin murmured while resting his cheek on Jonghwa’s shoulder. His eyes sparkled with the nostalgia of childhood. It reminded him of the gingerbread house from Hansel and Gretel and the home of Pinocchio and Geppetto. Now that he thought about it, it resembled Heidi’s house in the Alps the most.In truth, it didn’t matter what he was reminded of. The feeling of returning to his childhood made his heart swell. He missed those days that he could never return to, no matter how much he longed for them. The passage of time, the memories he had almost forgotten.“The sound of the wind is nice too. Doesn’t it sound like whistling?”“…Does it?”“Do you know how to whistle? I can’t. I tried hard to learn when I was little, but I never succeeded.”Hajin puckered his lips and blew air. He tried so hard that his lips turned white, but the whistling sound he aimed for didn’t come out, only a pale breath.Jonghwa slowly blinked as he looked down at Hajin, who was leaning on his shoulder.“You just have to blow.”“Show me.”“They say… whistling at night brings out snakes.”“Let them come. We can roast them on the campfire.”“Oh, come on…”Hajin made a feeble joke and let out a weak laugh. He no longer had the energy to laugh out loud. Jonghwa caught the end of Hajin’s laugh, which was turning into a cough, and whistled.