JD 10

Hakyung’s eyes narrowed at the boss’s suspicious expression and behavior.

He’d said there was no trip to the sea or anything like that planned, but…?

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll find out if you follow me.”

It wasn’t much of an answer. Hakyung’s lips parted as if to protest again, but he shook his head instead.

It would be a problem if they did go to the sea, and a problem if they ended up in some shady alley, too.

He clearly expressed his firm refusal, but Muheon didn’t so much as twitch an eyebrow.

Instead, he leaned in, bringing his face right up to Hakyung’s without warning.

The sudden proximity of the boss’s handsome face made the little river dolphin’s heart pound like crazy.

“Is it because you’re still young…?”

“…Sorry?”

“You must not know that the person holding the money calls the shots.”

The offhanded remark made Hakyung’s brow furrow.

So this is what he’s like, huh. Acting all high and mighty just ‘cause he’s the one paying…

Hakyung’s opinion of the boss dropped sharply into the negatives, and he let out a loud sigh.

But as the man said, in the eyes of an average citizen, the person handing out money might as well be the law.

Sighing inwardly, Hakyung gently set down the dolphin wind chime and followed Muheon out.

He could only hope to be safely reunited with it by tonight…

***

The car carrying the river dolphin zipped through downtown Seoul.

It was a slow part of the afternoon, long past lunchtime, so most of the roads were relatively empty.

“What are you looking around for so much?”

“Oh—was I distracting you while you were driving? I’m sorry.”

Hakyung had been inspecting the car with his eyes, not daring to touch anything.

Without even turning his head, the man seemed to know exactly what Hakyung was doing.

He quickly offered an apology, but within a minute his gaze started roaming again.

And who could blame him?

He was sitting in one of those multimillion-won foreign luxury cars he’d only ever seen in YouTube reviews!

Honestly, it still didn’t feel real.

That his own butt was parked right on top of something worth hundreds of millions.

And the car absolutely lived up to its price tag.

From the leather seats to the dashboard, the steering wheel, even the seatbelt—every single detail looked sleek and luxurious.

“Is there something wrong with the car? What are you checking so thoroughly?”

“Oh, no! It’s just… the car is really cool…”

“They all have wheels. Same difference.”

Hakyung blinked.

Even the way the boss casually dismissed a multimillion-won car as just “something with wheels” made him seem kind of… refined.

Guess I’ve turned into a full-blown materialist ever since moving to Seoul, Hakyung silently scolded himself.

It hadn’t even been that long since he’d arrived, and he was already drowning in worldly desires.

Then, trying to make conversation, he asked a small question.

“Did you buy this with the money from all the stall fees?”

“Well, some of it. Plus a bit from the kickbacks I get.”

Cough!

Hakyung sucked in a breath at that and ended up choking.

Muheon clicked his tongue and gave his back a few solid pats.

Thanks to the boss’s uncharacteristic kindness, Hakyung finally caught his breath and fidgeted with his fingers.

“I… see…”

It felt like a good idea to let go of any further curiosity about the car.

The car had been full of Hakyung’s gasps and shuffling just a moment ago, but now fell into a heavy silence.

Muheon wasn’t the type to speak unless necessary, and Hakyung had learned that the more he talked, the deeper a hole he dug for himself.

Who knew how much time passed like that.

Eventually, Muheon’s car slid gracefully into the entrance of a building.

Hakyung blinked as another world unfolded in front of him.

“Out.”

“Y-Yeah.”

The place Muheon had brought him to was a shopping mall lined with high-end clothing stores.

The only shopping experience Hakyung had ever known was tagging along with his grandmother to the market on sale days.

Now, confronted by the gleaming shop windows, he shrank back instinctively.

Even the bright smiles of the staff who made eye contact felt burdensome.

In this unfamiliar space, the only place he could hide was behind the broad back of his boss.

Hakyung tugged his cap down lower to hide his face and pressed close to Muheon’s back.

“Chicken out much…?”

Muheon clicked his tongue at the cowardly behavior, but he didn’t push away the warm body heat pressed against his back. In fact, he reached a hand behind him and lightly patted the shoulders of the river dolphin.

They’d only come to buy a set of clothes, yet there was so much to be scared of, so many things to be startled by. But that, too, was oddly cute and amusing, and a quiet chuckle escaped him.

Muheon walked without a shred of hesitation, as though he had a set destination in mind. Of course, he made sure to keep a pace slow enough for Kang Hakyung to follow.

Their destination was a store that was apparently quite popular with young people these days. It was a place recommended by Gi Sang-oh, the most worldly of the “fishes” Muheon had with him.

“Welcome!”

With a loud, booming greeting from the staff, the first impression of the shop was: gaudy. To Muheon’s eyes, which had seen centuries come and go, the flashy displays did not impress in the slightest despite their youthful flair.

But Hakyung was barely more than a newborn taking his first steps. Maybe he’d like a place this loud and colorful, so Muheon barely resisted the urge to turn and leave right away.

He held up a hand to stop an employee approaching to assist them and gave Hakyung a gentle push on the back.

It was only the lightest touch, but the river dolphin stumbled forward, eyes going wide as he turned to look up at Muheon.

“Pick something you like.”

“Huh? Me?”

“Yeah. I looked through your bag, and you don’t have a single decent piece of clothing in there.”

The backpack Muheon had half-forcibly taken from Hakyung had practically nothing in it. Despite the chilly weather, there wasn’t even a padded jacket—just two thin shirts and a pair of jeans. That was it. And from the lack of any other bags in his room, it looked like that really was everything. It was a dismal little bundle, completely unsatisfactory.

That made clothing the top priority in Muheon’s eyes. Originally, he’d planned to bring Hakyung over just for breakfast, but the kid had been too busy working all morning, so this was the earliest he could manage.

Ridiculously, the janitor was busier than the boss. But what could he do? The one with the lighter schedule had to accommodate.

“I think they’re wearable enough,” Hakyung protested with a pout, but Muheon didn’t even pretend to listen. He just shot him a pointed glare that clearly said: Hurry up and pick something.

Hakyung, uncertain whether this counted as work or would be deducted from his wages, started shuffling awkwardly through the store. The clothes, covered in brightly colored geometric patterns likely to appeal to older generations, were lightyears away from his own tastes.

Figures a thug like him would go for loud, flashy clothes, Hakyung thought to himself as he picked out the cheapest, most basic blue T-shirt he could find. Just in case it was coming out of his pay.

“You trying to freeze to death? Pick something that’s actually suitable for the weather.”

“I don’t get cold that easily! And, um…”

Hakyung waved his hand slightly. He wanted to whisper, but the boss was just too tall for that.

“Oh? Giving your superior hand signals now, are we?”

“No, that’s not it…! It’s just, you’re so tall, sir…!”

“I’ll let it slide this once.”

“Thank you.”

Hakyung didn’t know what exactly he was thanking him for, but he said it anyway and motioned with his hand again.

Muheon raised an eyebrow, then leaned down so Hakyung could speak into his ear. A clear voice rang like a melody, brushing right against his eardrum.

“The clothes here are too flashy. They’re just not my style.”

Though the voice was pure, the message was not.

Muheon burst into laughter at the river dolphin’s taste. It seemed not all modern kids had the same preferences after all.

In the end, Muheon paid for just the one blue T-shirt and then took Hakyung to one of his usual brands—a place full of muted basics in achromatic tones.

Only then did Hakyung start to dart around the store like a river dolphin in water. He hesitated for a moment at the price tags, but after holding some pieces up in front of the mirror and liking what he saw, he quickly began to fill up a shopping basket.

Muheon watched every move from the side, and a quiet pride bloomed in his chest.

Pride… how long had it been since he last felt that?

He realized that the boredom that had filled him for centuries had lightened noticeably in the past few days. The thought of caring for this unknown little river dolphin from head to toe sent a shiver down his spine.

“Boss, boss! Is it okay if I buy this much? I’m not gonna end up with a negative paycheck, right?”

Somehow, Hakyung had already filled the basket and now stood in front of him like a student waiting for a homework check. His cheeks, flushed from the heat under his cap, looked sweet enough to eat.

Muheon swallowed hard as his throat tightened and took the basket from Hakyung, heading toward the register. The sound of footsteps closely following behind him was oddly pleasant.

The man who had claimed he’d uncover Kang Hakyung’s identity piece by piece hadn’t yet realized that somewhere along the way, he’d started feeling an anxious urge to do everything for the little river dolphin instead.