Double-Piece

“How should I… … apologize?”

“Ugh, big, ugh… … .”

“Oh, yeah. Money. I’ll give you money.”

It was the best that Seok-ju’s head could come up with. There is nothing that can solve everything as much as money. It is a world where money can solve even if you beat up someone. The person who got hit didn’t think that he would lose that much if he received money. He thought that it was a good deal if he received a thousand won even if his nose was broken.

It was understandable, since in a world where you could earn fifty to a hundred won by operating a sewing machine in a factory or doing manual labor all day at a construction site, it was understandable. No wonder there was something called bail money in this world. Saying sorry, saying I was wrong, and apologizing verbally didn’t satisfy the stomach, and it didn’t allow you to buy things.

Seok-ju, who had gotten up, looked for his wallet. He took out a wad of 100-won bills from his thick leather wallet. He handed them straight to A-jin. The bill with the face of a respectable man on it stared blankly at A-jin.

“… … .”

Ajin shut her mouth tightly. Even at a glance, it looked like it was over fifty sheets. Then it would be five thousand won.

When Ajin worked at the casino, she received thirty won a day. Even that was twenty won, with ten won deducted for food and lodging expenses since Ajin lived there.

At Seokju’s house, they receive sixty won. Five thousand won is about 100 days’ daily wage. In the case of a casino, it would be 250 days’ work. It was too much money to sell one’s body for one night.

Ajin took it. Seokju’s face brightened even more. He thought that he had atoned for his sins.

“If it’s not enough, I’ll give you more. I can give you twice as much.”

Seok-ju sat down across from A-jin again. And he picked up his spoon. Now he felt like he could eat with peace of mind. He dipped his spoon into the soup bowl with a small smile on his lips.

Choaak.

Ajin threw the money at Seokju’s face. Dozens of bills poured down, more than the torrential rain pouring down outside. Ajin screamed.

“I told you it’s not a male prostitute!”

“you…….”

“I said I’m not a prostitute, so why are you giving me money?”

Ajin’s skinny shoulders shook roughly. Money. Of course it’s good. If you were to choose the best thing in the world, it would be money. But Ajin didn’t want to earn money like this. If I sold my body because I wanted to, I would have accepted it right away, but last night wasn’t like that.

Even the most insignificant and lowly servant has pride. Especially in this day and age, where no two classes, whether noble or commoner, have disappeared, the servant’s pride was quite upright and straight.

Ah-jin hated Seok-ju. She hated him so much that she wanted to pull on his prominent nose until it fell off.

“… … .”

Seok-ju looked at the scattered money with a face like he had seen a ghost. His face hardened coldly. A-jin saw that and shrugged her shoulders. She thought that a fist would fly at her, or that chopsticks would be stuck in her eyeball, or that she would call Myeong-jin and have him cut off her throat.

But Seok-ju did nothing.

Ajin wiped away her tears and hurriedly cleaned up the table. She gathered the soups together and snatched the spoon that Seokju was holding. Then she tried to get up and pick up the table.

Seok-ju, who had been blankly staring, grabbed A-jin’s wrist.

“Why? Where are you going?”

“I have to go to work. I have to wash the dishes, clean the hallways, and do the laundry.”

“What? What are you doing with that body-”

“It’s okay. I used to work even when I was sick. It’s my job. If I don’t do it, someone else will have to do it.”

“… … .”

Ajin shook her wrist and shook Seokju’s hand off. He lifted the heavy table with his bare arms. He crossed the room with quick steps, placed the table in front of the door, opened the door, and placed the table outside. Then, as he was about to close the door, he swallowed his snot and looked at Seokju.

Then he bowed deeply.

“good bye.”

With that polite greeting, the door slammed shut. Seok-ju, surrounded by hundred-won notes, slowly blinked.

summer apple

As soon as Kkotnim saw Ajin, his face crumpled into a grim expression.

“Dengshin-ah. Where did you sleep and now you’re here-”

She, who had been nagging, shut her mouth tightly. This was because she had belatedly noticed Ah-jin’s appearance.

“What’s wrong with you?”

“……auntie.”

Ajin, who had set the dining table down in the middle of the kitchen, repeatedly stuck out and pulled back her lower lip. Then she sat down on the floor and burst into tears like a little child.

“Is this guy crazy… … .”

The flower girl woke him up and shouted at the servants who were muttering while looking at Ajin.

“What are you standing around doing? Go to work! Dinner is in an hour!”

At that shout, the servants hurriedly slammed their faces into the pots. Kkotnim dragged Ajin, who was drooping, out of the kitchen. Ajin limped along, dragged by her rough grip. Then she called out to her in a wet voice.

“auntie.”

“what.”

“I want to wash. With hot water.”

The girl, who was very impressed by him, turned to the outside bathroom without saying a word.

Ajin squatted down on her knees in the wooden plank bathtub. Regardless of the width, once she got into the hot water, she felt like she was going to live. Her asshole, which had been torn from the previous night’s abuse, was stinging, and her buttocks and inner thighs were tingling, but it wasn’t enough to make her cry out in pain.

As Ajin was splashing water with his fingers in the precious bathtub, Kkotnim, who was wiping his back, glared at him and asked.

“So you’re saying that guy, the boss, said that?”

“Yeah. Suddenly in the middle of the night.”

“That son of a bitch… … Should I put rat poison in his food? Or should I put pesticide in his soup?”

“No. Don’t do that.”

“why?”

“I’m sorry… to you.”

“… … The president?”

“huh.”

Kkotnim bit her lip. An apology. It may seem like something so difficult, but it is not easy to hear. Especially not from a superior. And even more so from a man.

That fact was quite surprising, but she couldn’t just let it go. Kkotnim could really put rat poison in Seokju’s meal tomorrow morning. Kkotnim slapped Ajin’s spotted back.

“ah!”

“… … So. Did you come out saying, “Okay, I understand,” after receiving an apology from someone like that?”

“No, I didn’t. I gave you money, but you threw it away. I’m not a prostitute.”

“Ugh. Burns. You should take the money. If you take it and it’s not enough, you should ask for double the amount. Anyway, you’re so stupid… … .”

Seokju killed him, but he would have thrown out a bunch of money.

Kkotnim clicked her tongue. Sometimes the kid acts like a fox cub, and other times he acts like a stupid dog.

Ah-jin opened her eyes wide and sat pressed against the wall of the bathtub.

“… Really? Then should I go back and ask for it? It looks like it’s five thousand, five thousand won.”

“That’s how much money is rotten?”

Ajin nodded. She didn’t have any hesitation in giving that much money.

Ajin muttered with her mouth wide open as she recalled Seok-ju handing her a bundle of 100 won notes.

“Does the boss give 5,000 won to other prostitutes too? Then I should sell my body too. If I sell twice, I can buy a house-”

Thud. This time, a punch flew towards her back. Ajin groaned, twisting her waist.

“Ma’am-ah… … . I’m sick-ah… … .”

“Don’t think like that. If you sell your body, you’ll end up in a bad way.”

“end?”

“You’re going to die hard. Have you ever heard of a prostitute living until she’s eighty?”

“… … .”

“That’s what happens when you’re with guys. They don’t treat women like human beings. It’s even worse when they buy women like objects with money.”

“But I’m a man.”

“Once you sell your body, you’re no different from a woman.”

Ajin nodded slowly. She didn’t understand exactly what he meant, but she felt like she had a vague idea. The older sisters who worked at the casino often got hurt.

The men were always hitting each other. When was it time to hit those pretty and kind sisters? Young Ah-jin was so angry and sad that she cried while treating her sisters who had bruises and bleeding on their white jade-like skin.

Ajin, who had her chin raised above the bathtub, blinked her large eyes and looked up at Kkotnim. Kkotnim gently wiped Ajin’s reddened eyes with her fingers. She let out a deep sigh as if the ground was sinking.

Ajin noticed her worry and smiled brightly.

“I’m okay, ma’am. It wasn’t as scary or painful as when I got hit by a car.”

“… … Is that what you mean?”

Kkotnim fed Ajin a chestnut to keep her head from getting sore. Ajin laughed childishly. Seeing that foolish laugh, Kkotnim couldn’t help but laugh along.

Kkotnim cherished Ajin. Even though she spoke harshly, she was the only one in the world who cared for and worried about Ajin.

Ajin was nine years old. When she arrived at the gambling house after rolling around. It was a bar and a gambling house. Ajin would go around the tables, emptying ashtrays, selling cigarettes, and serving alcohol.

At that time, Kkotnim wasn’t interested in Ajin. There were more than a few kids without parents or money. There was no need to show interest or pity her.

But Ajin liked Kkotnim. That’s why she followed her around like a puppy.

Then one day, Kkotnim got sick. Was it a cold, a cold, or both? No one took care of her. Instead of worrying, President Geum was furious, asking who would take over the kitchen work. The other employees were the same. They didn’t even pay attention to Kkotnim, who was lying in the attic, sick.

Only Ajin worried about her. While wiping the ashtray, he would sneakily open the door and ask if she was okay, tell her to bring some dog food-like porridge to eat, and place a half-wrung towel on her forehead with his weak hands. At night, he would stick to her side and nag her.

It was from that day on. Kkotnim started to take care of Ajin.

As Ajin turned her back, Kkotnim was putting soap on her messy hair. Ajin squinted one eye and called out to her.

“But, ma’am.”

“What now?”

“The boss said I’m pretty.”

“… … .”

“Don’t walk around with your face covered.”

The hands of the flower girl who had been moving busily suddenly stopped. Her eyes became cold. The gaze that was piercing through Ajin was rather fierce. It was like a captain staring at the gusts of wind on the sea.

However, Ajin, who was looking back, could not see her face.

“Is the boss blind like I am blind in the legs? Why do you say men are pretty? I have a penis too.”

“… … .”

“……auntie?”

“Yeah, I guess he’s an idiot.”

Ajin nodded at the belated answer.

Oh, our boss is an idiot.

You’re blind, so you say that guy is pretty.

I thought so.