Red Mansion

Though he was annoyed by the hassle, Sung-kyung didn’t withdraw his outstretched hand. This wasn’t the first time he had brought them cigarettes and beer. He had even secretly used his dishwashing wages to fill the gaps in the store’s accounts. If he brought them cigarettes first this time, he was sure he wouldn’t get paid.Sung-kyung didn’t back down. He was already annoyed by the fact that they, who weren’t even friends, were talking to him so familiarly. His words came out harshly.“Buy it when you have the money.”At that, the two thugs exchanged disapproving glances. The surroundings were quiet, with only the faint sound of a cat’s meow. Sung-kyung glanced around. Maybe a cat had come for food again. But there was no small figure in sight.Whatever they had whispered to each other, the two thugs suddenly turned fierce and reached out towards Sung-kyung.“This son of a bitch won’t even bring us stuff when we’re boosting his sales?”“Fuck, he’s all high and mighty ’cause his parents own a store. How are us parentless kids supposed to live?”As they grabbed his collar and started pulling him forcefully, Sung-kyung struggled. The thugs seemed taken aback by his resistance.“Ah, fuck.”“Hey, Kim Ju-young! Come over here!”A rough voice echoed in the quiet back alley. From a secluded corner next to a protruding storage room, a boy crawled out, cursing. Judging by his disheveled hair, he hadn’t been behaving himself.“Fuck, how did you know I was there?”“I heard all your damn sucking noises, idiot.”The thugs holding Sung-kyung’s arms laughed. The boy wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and made a smacking sound with his lips.“Yeah? But who’s this?”The boy’s dull eyes scrutinized Sung-kyung, making him frown in discomfort.“A student. Today’s student for a little moral education.”“Ah, I see.”The boy approached, rolling his shoulders as if he understood. He had the look of someone who had found a fun toy. Sung-kyung cursed internally. He needed to finish cleaning up the restaurant to get paid.“Shall we start with the first period?”The boy named Kim Ju-young ran lightly as if for a running start and punched Sung-kyung in the stomach. Sung-kyung’s body doubled over as he groaned.“Ugh—”“Ugh! That was one syllable. Let’s see if we can make it two syllables next.”The thugs holding Sung-kyung’s arms just snickered. The boy who had punched him now elbowed him in the solar plexus. Sung-kyung coughed out another groan.“Ugh, ugh—”Next to him, someone mocked, “Two syllables, clear.” He was hit a few more times in the open space behind the building. When a distant voice called for quiet, the thugs dragged Sung-kyung inside.From that point, Sung-kyung’s vision wasn’t clear. He was dragged by the force holding him. Suddenly, the grip vanished, and he fell to the floor. His solar plexus hurt so much he could barely breathe. Sung-kyung clutched his chest, groaning in pain.“What’s the last period?”“Haa, huff….”“Life lessons!”The thugs laughed gleefully as they kicked Sung-kyung’s shoulders. Dirt from their worn-out sneakers smeared on his T-shirt.“Remember the fight on the 3rd floor? You were the instigator.”“Ugh….”“You need to be punished.”Of course, Sung-kyung had no idea about any fight on the 3rd floor. This meant they were framing him. When Sung-kyung glared fiercely, a large hand slapped his cheek.“Who told you to act tough, idiot? Reflect on your actions.”Soon, the boys all left. Sung-kyung forced his eyes open. The place was so narrow it felt like a bathroom or a small storage room. The door slammed shut, followed by the sound of a lock. The space was plunged into pitch darkness.“Where the hell am I now?”Cursing under his breath, Sung-kyung crawled on the floor. He guessed the door was roughly in this direction.“The twins will come! Whether they cut off your fingers or your leg, you’ll get your punishment! If you die, we’ll tell the store owner we did the right thing!”Their mocking voices lingered. Sung-kyung, repulsed by their laughter, moved towards the sound. His weak arm reached out and touched something hard. He felt along the wall, finding a slight gap. This must be the door. He raised his arm, which barely moved.“Open the door, now….”Why should he suffer in place of those thugs, facing the wrath of the twins? He was the one who didn’t get paid for the cigarettes. Anger flared up like a spark. Sung-kyung pounded on the door, shouting in frustration.“Open up!”Even after pounding until his hand was red, there was no response from the other side.“Damn it. I can’t breathe… Open up, you crazy bastards.”The darkness was all-encompassing. The place was so tightly sealed that no light or air seemed to get in. It was suffocating.Sung-kyung, gasping for breath, clawed at his neck with his nails. Each scratch made a chilling sound. He lay on the floor briefly before forcing himself up again.“Open the door. There’s someone here.”He pounded on the door with a weak fist. Thud, thud. He only felt the reverberation in his hand; the door didn’t budge.“Let me out….”Leaning against the wall and knocking on the door, Sung-kyung finally let his arm drop. He had no strength left to raise it again. He was suffocating.At that moment, the door, which seemed it would never open, swung open. Light and oxygen rushed in, and Sung-kyung took a deep breath, his chest expanding. He was alive. That was his only thought. He lifted his bowed head and looked at the open doorway.The distorted illusion soon overlapped with reality and then disappeared.“Why….”It was Gyurim. Kwon Gyurim. He had a grim expression and was holding something sharp in his hand.“Ah… no.”Why were the twins already here? Sung-kyung’s eyes quivered, then filled with terror. Screaming, he moved sideways. After crawling so hard to get there, he now crawled away from the door on the floor.“I-I didn’t do it! Those thugs, those bastards did it!”Sung-kyung clutched his head and curled up in a corner. As the thugs had said, the twins had come, and now he was going to die. Even if they let him live, losing a finger or an ankle would be nothing. Oh, they might lay his corpse in the common area. No, he needed to make money. What would happen to his parents if he died? Terrified, Sung-kyung screamed continuously.“I’m innocent! I don’t know anything! It wasn’t me, it was those bastards….”Sung-kyung was still trapped in the darkness of the Red Mansion, unable to escape that day when he was seventeen. He couldn’t even realize where he was now. Trembling as if having a seizure, Sung-kyung eventually collapsed.“What the fuck…”Gyurim, who was holding the doorknob, frowned and cursed.“Has he lost his mind?”He had heard from Surim that the store kid was taking over the bedroom. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t stand it. Even though he handed him money, he didn’t take it, so he planned to scare him and take control.Recently, Chungrim had been stuck at home, but hearing he had gone down to the basement parking lot, Gyurim rushed over alone. The insignificant guy guarding the door was so loose-lipped that it took less than five minutes to get the entrance password.The store kid, who had been occupying the bedroom, shivered and yelled before fainting with his eyes rolled back. He was in worse shape than the last time Gyurim saw him at the Red Mansion. What happened to his ankle? Gyurim hadn’t even swung his knife, yet Sung-kyung was already a mess. Gyurim’s shoulder suddenly turned. His fist landed hard on Sung-kyung’s cheek.“What the fuck are you staring at so creepily?”At some point, Chungrim had arrived and shoved Gyurim, making him stagger back. The punch must have been quite strong as Gyurim tasted blood in his mouth.“You little shit, hitting your brother now?”“Did you come to fuck that kid?”Chungrim, seemingly losing his mind, swung his hands with a vein popping in his neck. Gyurim, though capable of dodging, took the blow squarely. His jaw ached as if it was dislocated. Sighing shortly in disbelief, Gyurim wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, still holding the knife. When Chungrim’s gaze fell on the knife, his eyes sparkled with a strange light.“Haha. Are you going to stab him with that? No one can touch him.”Chungrim, giggling, reached for the knife, but Gyurim quickly hid it behind his back.“Hand over the knife, you bastard. I’ll show you what happens if you mess with him.”Even in that moment, blood dripped from Chungrim’s hand, likely cut by the knife’s sharp edge. His crooked grin twitched.“….”Gyurim frowned, looking at his blood-stained hand. Ignoring the flowing blood, Chungrim grabbed Gyurim’s collar. As he applied more pressure, more blood flowed, soaking the shirt collar. The smell of blood, a scent that should no longer emanate from Chungrim, filled the air.“Is my word a joke because I’m being nice since I’m your brother? Huh? Is that it?”“Chungrim, you idiot. Get a grip, okay?”“Just leave me alone, for God’s sake. Do I have to die for you to be satisfied?”As Chungrim pushed hard with both hands, long red handprints were left on Gyurim’s jacket.“You can’t die so easily.”We’ve raised you in a certain way. You’re supposed to live differently from us. Meet someone sane, live a proper life, proudly. We’ll handle the dirty work, so why keep something like that at home?Chungrim, looking at his stubborn brother’s face, twisted his head and laughed coldly. It was truly ridiculous. A proper life envisioned by those from the distorted Mansion could never be right. A proper life as defined by the brothers? Selling off Mansion kids and living luxuriously? That’s bullshit. In the end, they wanted to use him as they saw fit. Chungrim, with blood dripping from his middle finger, raised it defiantly.“You’re always so high and mighty, crazy.”Blocking the doorway, Chungrim turned his back. Bang! The door slammed shut, causing the cat sitting on the windowsill to scurry into a corner.“Damn… that kid’s really lost it.”Drops of blood fell to the floor. Since the twins had started cleaning up, Chungrim’s reactions had never been this sensitive. Initially, he thought it was just curiosity from experiencing a man for the first time. But it might not be that simple. It felt like the moment to turn things around had already passed.Gyurim, ruffling his hair, plopped down on the sofa with a long sigh. Why had Chungrim come back so soon? If he had stayed just one more minute, he would have taken care of everything.“Shit.”He rolled the knife handle in his hand. The blood-stained blade glinted sharply. From inside the closed bedroom came a shout followed by a groan.“Sigh.”Knowing full well what was happening inside, Gyurim put the knife back in his pocket and stood up. Chungrim was more serious than he had feared, and the kid occupying the bedroom wasn’t in his right mind either. Realizing for the first time that he couldn’t control his brother, he felt a headache coming on.Chungrim went straight to the bed and lifted the collapsed Sung-kyung. Blood from his palm smeared onto the white shirt.“What am I supposed to do if you freak out the moment I look away?”To avoid losing Kim Sung-kyung, Chungrim knew he had to escape the shadow of his twin brothers. The “normal and proper life” that his brothers had been preparing for years was never a good fit for him. He planned to overturn it completely.For the first time, Chungrim found someone he wanted to possess wholly. This new desire made him realize he needed to live on his own terms. To do that, he had to handle everything independently, away from the influence of his twins.However, he only managed to get 20 minutes. He had met briefly with the secretary of the construction company they were working with to establish a resort. Even going to the underground parking lot was a mistake.“Those muscleheads are useless.”He never trusted the idiot stationed at the door. That guy wasn’t desperate enough to protect Kim Sung-kyung.“Wake up.”He tapped the pale, thin cheek. Even when everyone else left for money, Sung-kyung was the one person who didn’t disappear. Despite the cool air from the air conditioner, Sung-kyung’s forehead was covered in sweat.“Open your eyes.”Open your eyes and see me. Chungrim’s voice quivered slightly as he shook Sung-kyung’s face. Slowly, Sung-kyung’s tightly shut eyelids began to flutter open.“Hey. Kim Sung-kyung.”Instead of replying, Sung-kyung blinked slowly. His gaze, unfocused and drifting, hadn’t yet returned to reality.“Look at me.”It was what Chungrim always said when Sung-kyung fell into hallucinations and delusions. For Sung-kyung, it was like a gateway back to reality. Terrified eyes meticulously scanned Chungrim’s features. Once he fully recognized the figure before him, he exhaled softly.“Kwon, Kwon Gyurim… the twins were here.”“…”“Did you chase them away?”“Yes.”Chungrim brushed away the hair stuck to Sung-kyung’s forehead. Sung-kyung’s expression of relief brought a gentle smile to Chungrim’s lips.“But, you…”Sung-kyung was just happy that Chungrim was the first person he saw after waking from his nightmare.“You still remember them, huh?”Despite the cold tone, Sung-kyung didn’t notice. Even with a menacing glare directed at him, he continued to smile.“So I’m the only one missing.”Chungrim’s bloodshot eyes widened. The hand that had been gently caressing his forehead turned rough, gripping the nape of his neck tightly.“I’m the only one missing, aren’t I?”Sung-kyung didn’t struggle much. He focused on the sensation of pleasure seeping through the grip on his throat. His eyes filled with ecstasy, his breath came in gasps, and saliva trickled from his mouth.“You get hard even when I choke you, huh?”Despite his mocking tone, Chungrim’s hand quickened its movements on Sung-kyung’s glans. Sung-kyung’s eyes squeezed shut, tears forming at the corners. At that moment, the hand on his throat suddenly released.“Ha… Haa…”Sung-kyung gasped for air, his chest heaving. His neck, redder than his face, still bore the marks of Chungrim’s fingers. He scratched his neck, trying to draw in more air.“Ugh—”Then one of his legs was lifted, and Chungrim’s penis entered him without warning. Even though he was prepared, it was still a challenge to take it in suddenly. Chungrim didn’t stop pushing his swollen member into the tight entrance, cursing as the inner walls squeezed him tightly.“How many times have I fucked you, and it’s still like this?”Chungrim’s bloody hand reached into a nearby drawer for a lubricant he rarely used during sex. He tore it open with his teeth and squirted it into Sung-kyung’s now-red opening.“This goes in easily, huh?”Chungrim chuckled, squeezing more into Sung-kyung’s insides until it overflowed. The once half-empty tube rolled under the sofa after being discarded.“You should be spreading it open by now.”He thrust his cock back in, this time more smoothly, but the inner walls still gripped him tightly partway in. Chungrim furrowed his brows and looked at Sung-kyung.“It feels good.”Sung-kyung’s expression was a mix of smiling and crying, unable to distinguish between the two. His wet eyelashes and curved lips betrayed his anticipation of what Chungrim would do next.“Doesn’t it feel good too, brother?”Chungrim spread Sung-kyung’s skinny legs wide and thrust in, grinding his hips against him. The insides of Sung-kyung’s thighs convulsed, trembling. Chungrim could feel the rough texture of the bandages under his palms as he gripped Sung-kyung’s ankles. Soon, the bandages became soaked with blood, but he didn’t loosen his grip. The loosely pulled-down pants pressed hard against Sung-kyung’s buttocks.“Agh, ugh!”A drop of fluid fell from the tip of Sung-kyung’s erect penis. Chungrim, suddenly parched, licked his lower lip, watching the droplet intently as he moved his hips erratically. The more he focused on the act, the deeper the furrow between his brows grew, and Sung-kyung grimaced, muttering under his breath.“I know… you’re getting excited…”The wet slapping sounds from their joining became more frequent. The mess of melted gel and fluids made Chungrim even more aroused. His dark red penis would appear, then disappear back into Sung-kyung’s hole, creating sticky bubbles and leaking fluid.By now, the front of his pants was thoroughly soaked. Chungrim continued to thrust and lift his hips rhythmically, making a squelching sound. Sung-kyung’s face, overtaken by pleasure, rubbed against the floor as he moaned, his head getting tangled and his shirt riding up to his chest.Even in this state, perhaps remembering what Chungrim had said, Sung-kyung didn’t touch his own penis or Chungrim. He just clutched his shirt hem, twisting his body. As the shirt rode up and exposed his erect nipples, the thrusting became even rougher.“Remember this well.”Annoyed by the hair sticking to his sweaty forehead, Chungrim brushed it back, revealing his pleasure-filled eyes.“Remember who you’re having sex with.”He plunged deep inside Sung-kyung, the hot, tight walls pulling back with each retreat and pushing in with each thrust.“Remember who you need to think of.”Even amidst those maddening hallucinations and delusions, remember who to seek.He pressed hard against the swollen spot inside, making Sung-kyung shudder with a small cry. Chungrim no longer covered Sung-kyung’s mouth, letting him moan freely.“If you call out another guy’s name, I’ll really kill you.”As if in response to the harsh words, Sung-kyung climaxed. Semen spurted onto his shirt and Chungrim’s chest. Chungrim laughed at the sight of the sticky liquid flowing down Sung-kyung’s body. In Sung-kyung’s delusions, there should only be Chungrim. That was only natural.＊＊＊Sung-kyung opened his eyes to a dull pain from below. It was dawn, but the indirect light by the door was on, so it wasn’t completely dark. Chungrim lay beside him, facedown. As he tried to sit up, more fluid leaked out, making Sung-kyung’s face light up with joy.“Ah.”He savored the sensation of the fluid trickling down to the sheets. The vivid feeling of it flowing between his buttocks was pleasurable. His open pelvis and thighs ached, but it was a satisfying pain.For Sung-kyung, the semen staining his underwear was proof that their relationship was real. It wasn’t just a fantasy or delusion.Recently, Chungrim had been washing him, making him miss the sensation of leaking fluid. Now, he was reliving that reality flowing through his body. Chungrim had sex with Sung-kyung, got aroused, and ejaculated. Even without words, that was undeniable.As the area near his buttocks soaked the sheets, Sung-kyung finally sat up. Chungrim’s back was marked with red scratches, similar to those on Sung-kyung’s neck and wrists. The fact that they shared these marks delighted him.Sung-kyung swung his legs off the bed. There were dried, unidentifiable fluids on the floor, and his shirt was crumpled nearby. Bloodstains were scattered around. Had he been torn below? It didn’t hurt.Sung-kyung sat on the shirt with the torn left sleeve. This is where it started. He shouldn’t forget that.Recently, he had trouble distinguishing between dreams and reality. At first, he thought he could control it, but it wasn’t easy. He grew increasingly scared, afraid he might forget Chungrim too.He reached under the bed, not for a notebook but for a label. He took it out and carefully wrote three familiar characters on it.“Chungrim.”ChungrimMaybe it was because it wasn’t dark, or because he was sober, but the handwriting was neat. Silently, he climbed back onto the bed and stuck the label on Chungrim’s thick arm.“Don’t forget.”This person is Chungrim. He must never forget this person.The small, square label helped solidify fuzzy memories. Usually, such labels had information like ice cream prices, medicine delivery times, or cleaning schedules. For Sung-kyung, this small piece of paper turned vague memories clear. If he ever forgot Chungrim, this would remind him.Sung-kyung couldn’t bring himself to touch Chungrim but lay down and watched him. He blinked his dry eyes and eventually fell asleep.After a long time, as Sung-kyung breathed steadily in sleep, Chungrim sat up. He tapped his heavy head with his palm, trying to wake himself up.Feeling his way around the sheets, Chungrim’s eyes snapped open, searching for a familiar shape. Sung-kyung had moved to the edge of the bed. Chungrim’s eyes reddened with sudden heat. Relieved, he roughly ran his hand through his hair, then noticed something strange. He looked down at his shoulder and saw something stuck to his arm.“What’s this?”With a bandaged hand, he pulled off the label.Chungrim“……”Seeing his own name on the label sent a chill through his body. Chungrim had seen the third-floor store and knew what the labels meant. The small stickers covering the walls and shelves indicated things Sung-kyung repeatedly asked about. Mero’s name, snacks, toys. Now, one was stuck to him. He knew what it meant. Despite all the efforts to stay in memory, he might be fading from Sung-kyung’s mind.“……”The gaze that had been sweeping over his naked body turned cold. Confused about me, are you? Kim Sung-kyung, who used to spy on me and jot down every trivial detail in a notebook? You, who cried saying you enjoyed it even when I forced you like it was rape, now, why? How? After making me like this, are you backing out now?A large hand gripped the back of Sung-kyung’s neck. Though it trembled as if ready to choke the life out of him, Chungrim couldn’t bring himself to apply the pressure.Since that day, Chungrim hadn’t been able to sleep properly. Whenever he closed his eyes, the image of the label with his name on it floated behind his eyelids. It felt like he had caught Kim Sung-kyung’s hallucinations just by being around him.Moreover, Sung-kyung’s craving for drugs increased. It seemed that the encounter with Gyurim had triggered something, causing him to have fits and demand drugs while babbling nonsense. His struggles intensified, and his left wrist, wrapped in a chain, became red and swollen.Bruises started to reappear around the bandaged area on his calf. Despite the blue-black discoloration, Sung-kyung thrashed about. Yet Chungrim didn’t release the bound wrist. He knew that if he did, Sung-kyung would ransack the entire house and inevitably find the drugs.They were beginning to track the movements of the old doctor who had fled Red Mansion. The plan was to capture him and confine him in Ward 109. They would bind him so he couldn’t move and let him die like the patients he had killed.Imagining that scene, Chungrim suddenly questioned himself. What was the point of catching that bastard? The dead couldn’t be revived. What good would it do to torment him? Especially now, when he was busy preparing to stand alone. Having never wasted time and emotions on useless things, Chungrim found himself questioning his actions.“……”Instead of finding an answer, he felt a surge of anger. His fists clenched, but no blood oozed from his palms anymore. The wounds that hadn’t been deep had long since healed. Instead, the sound of persistent knocking continued to grate on his nerves.Bang, bang!“It’s starting again.”He checked the time. Almost like clockwork, Kim Sung-kyung would start acting out around 2 a.m. He’d rant about needing to pay an entry fee, not locking the store, or begging for drugs, claiming he needed to take painkillers for his parents. The process of quitting drugs was tumultuous. If Chungrim listened and gave him the drugs now, it would be nearly impossible to reverse.“There’s money in 422. In the kimchi container in the fridge, enough to buy the drugs.”It seemed money was the biggest thing choking Sung-kyung. Most of his nonsense revolved around money. Chungrim rubbed his throbbing forehead as he listened to the voice beyond the door.“Please let me go. That’s my home…”His closed eyes snapped open. My home. That simple phrase inexplicably enraged him. He felt like all reason was shattering into pieces. He stood up and threw the door open violently. Sung-kyung was crouched beside the door. When Chungrim kicked at his foot, Sung-kyung started in surprise and scrambled back.“You have no home.”“……”“You can’t come and go from 422 or Store 3 anymore, so how is that your home? You acted like you’d be content to be chained up forever, desperate to be near me, but now that you’re settled, you’re spouting nonsense and acting like you’ll forget even me.” His eyes, bloodshot and glinting, bore down on Sung-kyung.“There’s no home for you at Red Mansion anymore.”“There is. There’s money in the fridge. Enough to pay for everything.”The more he listened to Sung-kyung’s mumbled words, the more irritated he became. His untrimmed hair hung in his eyes, and beneath it, his murky gaze wandered. Chungrim closed his eyes and took a deep breath. While his chest rose and fell, Sung-kyung counted on his fingers, calculating money.“Right, and I’ll pay the interest too. So, please tell Chungrim…”Chungrim, listening to the incoherent rambling, raised his head. His eyes flashed with a hint of madness.“Say that again.”“Please tell Chungrim I’ll pay everything.”Fuck, he doesn’t even recognize me now. The pain he felt discovering the label on his arm returned, sharper and more intense. It felt like his blood was boiling over. Was it anger, shock, or betrayal? Chungrim’s red lips trembled.“Hey. Look at me and say it again.”“I’ll pay, really.”“To Chungrim?”“Yes.”Seeing him nodding with conviction made Chungrim’s fury uncontainable. Normally, when Sung-kyung acted up at night, he’d slap him back to his senses, but now, even that wouldn’t suffice.Chungrim, lips trembling, suddenly stepped out of the room. Sung-kyung crawled on his knees to the door, but the chain stopped him short. Fear spread across his pale face.“Wait! Where are you going? I said I’d pay!”Terrified, he thought Chungrim might sell him off with Red Mansion. If he’s collecting money, he must be in charge, right? If I pay the interest and the entry fee, and behave well, he’ll surely take me with him. Chungrim likes Kim Sung-kyung.Thank God I heard about the new owner in advance. I almost missed my chance to comply and be abandoned. Knowing ahead of time was a blessing.Jumbled thoughts dominated Sung-kyung’s mind. He was terrified, then resigned, his mood plunging. After crashing into despair, he finally spoke.“Please, tell him not to abandon me.”That was all he could manage. From the open door came the sound of angry footsteps. Chungrim was getting closer. Sung-kyung pressed against the wall and stood up. His knees still hurt, but he could bear it.“Yeah, fuck. You want to leave so bad? Fine, I’ll let you go.”Click. The chain around his wrist was undone. Chungrim grabbed his skinny arm with such force that the veins on his hand stood out. Dragged along, Sung-kyung limped after Chungrim, barely covered in an oversized shirt.They reached the entrance, but Chungrim didn’t give him time to put on shoes. He yanked Sung-kyung towards the elevator. Even in that confined space, Sung-kyung kept babbling whatever came to mind.“Please tell him I’ll pay, I really…”“Shut up.”