PO 4

Woojeong worked at the convenience store three times a week.

The store stood a little apart from the road beside a residential area, so on the late nights when Woojeong worked, there weren’t many customers. Since he had done it for nearly half a year already, it wasn’t too hard.

Before switching shifts with the next worker, Woojeong finished a simple cleaning, then sat down and let out a breath. The time he spent at the store was the most relaxed and free part of his day.

Woojeong didn’t really understand the idea of resting when he went home. Home wasn’t a comfortable place for him.

He was nervous all day, and even when he went to bed late at night, unease plagued him because he thought someone might suddenly fling the door open and come in.

Kang Eonju disliked Woojeong going outside. When he was younger, she had almost locked him inside the house, wanting him to stay quiet in the space she decided for him. So even saying he wanted to try working at the store had taken great courage. Kang Eonju hadn’t even listened to the end of his words before yelling at him not to fool around.

By chance, Lee Iljun, who had just come home, had said, “Now that he’s an adult, it’s time he tries earning money,” and thanks to that, Woojeong barely managed to start.

The time he spent at the convenience store now was a small channel that connected him to the world. Short as it was, it was the only time he could breathe.

It was fine when work was busy, and it was fine when work was quiet. Now and then there were customers who gave him headaches, but there were far more good days.

“Finished?”

Ring. The bell at the entrance rang, and someone poked his head in. His mischievous face showed under his cap.

“You came?”

“Ah, I’m hungry.”

Seo Junho rubbed his stomach and strolled up to the counter. Woojeong had already been waiting since he got a text saying he would stop by in the evening.

“What do you want to eat?”

One of the good things about working was that he could open his wallet whenever he needed to.

As a child, Woojeong had worn luxury brand clothes and carried expensive school supplies, but most days he hadn’t had even a coin of allowance. Kang Eonju had been too busy caring about others’ eyes, not about how Woojeong lived.

On the rare occasions when his father gave him pocket money, Woojeong had to stretch it as far as possible, so all through high school, he had leaned on Seo Junho a lot. Now he was slowly paying that debt back.

“Can you handle it? I’ve been starving since lunch.”

“Don’t worry. Just grab everything you want.”

“Oh, impressive. You’ll eat too, right?”

After roaming the store, Seo Junho came back with arms full, he had chosen cup ramen, triangle kimbap, sausage, and even soda. While Woojeong paid, the next part-timer arrived for the shift.

After finishing the handover as usual, Woojeong went to Seo Junho, who was busy tearing open the packaging of his cup ramen.

Junho poured hot water into the ramen and handed one to Woojeong, then quickly fixed his own portion. As soon as he sat down, he unwrapped a kimbap and took a huge bite, then grimaced. Woojeong, seeing that, asked with a puzzled face,

“Does it taste bad?”

“No. Why does your face look like that. Were you sick again?”

“Just a cold.”

When Junho asked after seeing his face pale and bloodless, the answer that came back again that day was “Just a cold.” His cheeks looked thinner, so it seemed like he had been sick for quite a while, but since Woojeong didn’t seem to want to talk, Seo Junho didn’t insist.

“Nothing going on at home?”

“Not really. Oh, right. My brother might get married. He had a blind date not long ago.”

“What? At that age already?”

“He had a few before, but this time I think he met someone he liked.”

“So even that foul-tempered bastard is getting married. I don’t know who it is, but their life is screwed, right?”

If Seo Junho had been in Woojeong’s place, he probably would have cursed all day long. But Woojeong only gave a feeble laugh. That side of him, unchanged from when he was a child until now, made him look pitiful, and at the same time frustrating.

The two had first gotten to know each other in their first year of high school when they were put in the same class. Because of his looks, Woojeong drew everyone’s attention and ended up at the center of all kinds of rumors right from the start of the term.

The rumors went that Lee Woojeong’s family had piled up wealth by unjust means, and that growing up in such a house had rotted him, so he lorded over people as if it were nothing, used his good looks to toy with others, and then threw them away without hesitation once he grew bored, like a complete degenerate.

Seo Junho realized that every bit of that talk was false.

At that time Woojeong was frail and often ill, so he frequently left early or missed school, and even when he was there, he often spent the whole day with his head down on his desk. Far from seducing anyone, he barely even talked to his classmates.

There hadn’t been anything special about how they became close either. Since their seats were near each other, they exchanged a few words now and then, and as Seo Junho helped Woojeong out from time to time, they naturally grew closer.

Later, as Junho learned one by one about Woojeong’s circumstances, their friendship deepened, and they became something a little more special.

“They say it’s not bad to meet someone good early and get married.”

“Not someone good, but someone rich, right? Or a pushover who will put up with that rotten temper. Either way, the best thing that bastard can do for you is get married fast and disappear out of your sight.”

“……”

“Hey. Want a can of beer?”

“Sure.”

Junho tidied up the table and brought back two cans of beer. For him it was hardly anything, but for Woojeong one can was enough. Woojeong never drank more, worried that he might get drunk and make a mistake.

“Hey. We’re already twenty.”

“In a bit we’ll be twenty-one.”

“Time really flies.”

Time passed, and the two who had once been high school boys became adults, but Woojeong hadn’t changed much. His gentle looks, and his kind nature, were the same as ever.

When Junho first saw the dark blue bruises on Woojeong’s body, he thought he was being bullied at school. He demanded to know who had done it, but Woojeong only repeated like a parrot that it wasn’t that.

Which bastard was tormenting a boy this weak? Junho went around with fire burning in his eyes, keeping watch over everyone.

But it was useless, because Woojeong continued showing up with new bruises and wounds. It was only much later that Junho realized the ones abusing Woojeong were none other than his family.

A person who is beaten constantly eventually grows venom, but Woojeong, like a fool, kept saying he was fine. It made Junho’s insides boil, and it made him feel like he would come down with an illness from sheer rage.

“What about school? Did no one at home say anything?”

“Not yet. I didn’t really have enough time to prepare anyway.”

“In dramas rich housewives act like their children’s education is life and death. In a world like this, if people find out the younger son dropped out of high school, they’ll be humiliated too? Then why are they just letting it be? They’re freaks, seriously.”

Since he had lived in such an environment from childhood, Woojeong seemed to have even the minimum defenses broken.

Even in situations where he should have been angry, Woojeong never showed even the smallest resistance. Every time Junho couldn’t stand it anymore and got angry for him, Woojeong only felt sorry.

“What about you? Do you enjoy school?”

“Not really.”

Near the end of summer break in their third year, Woojeong submitted a withdrawal form to the school. The reason was that he had been badly injured in a car accident and it was uncertain when he would be able to return to normal daily life.

But wasn’t there some way he could have graduated if they had tried? It was regrettable that his family had just handled it that way without discussion.

Junho couldn’t bring himself to talk about his own college life in front of Woojeong, so he brushed off the question with a vague answer.

“Let’s earn money fast and live on our own. Leave that house.”

“I’m thinking about it.”

Woojeong was someone who had always been used to acting only after receiving permission from someone else. Even to show a single piece of his mind took him a long time, and he had lived taking it for granted that he would be hurt.

Junho thought his pace was frustratingly slow, but even Woojeong was changing little by little. When the reply to leaving home changed from “How could I do that?” to “I’m thinking about it,” he felt there was hope.

“Why?”

“Because it’s suffocating.”

When he answered, Woojeong set down his beer can and gave a faint smile. Junho didn’t want to see that sorrowful smile anymore. He made up his mind to see Woojeong, one day free from that family, he stayed by his friend’s side again today.

•••

When sunlight spilled in through the window and reached the bed, Woojeong slowly opened his eyes. His drowsiness didn’t fade easily, he just lay still, staring blankly outside, then he sat up.

“Ah…?”

A dull ache spread from his cheek to his jaw. He picked up a small hand mirror and looked at his face. When he pressed his palm against his slightly swollen right cheek, he felt heat.

When he threw off the blanket and set his feet on the floor, he felt something underfoot. Scattered things left uncleaned from the night before were strewn across the ground.

As Woojeong sat on the floor and gathered the scattered things, the back of his neck was covered with scratches and deep gouges. But he indifferently moved his hands, as if he felt nothing.

The wrecked room and the wounds on Woojeong’s body were both traces of what had happened the night before.

Late at night, Kang Eonju, drunk, had threw open the door and barged into Woojeong’s room. She staggered toward the bed and seized the half-asleep Woojeong’s hair without mercy.

It was her habit when drunk to climb to the third floor and harass Woojeong. Sometimes it ended with verbal abuse, but at times her hands followed too. Like the night before, she would suddenly show up, beat him, scream, wail, then once she calmed down, leave while humming as if nothing had happened.

Woojeong stretched his hand under the bed and pulled out what had rolled there. He set it on the desk and thought suddenly of Seo Junho’s face. If Junho had seen him now, he would have exploded and turned the room upside down, demanding why he had just let himself be beaten.

As a child, Woojeong hadn’t even dared to think of talking back to his stepmother. He had only lowered his body and held his breath, waiting for the time to pass quickly.

But now Woojeong was grown and an adult. He could have stopped Kang Eonju’s actions, and if he made up his mind, he could have left that house.

But strangely, when the moment came, he couldn’t do anything. His mind went blank, and his body wouldn’t move as he wished. Like a fool…

The quiet phone screen suddenly lit up and vibrated. Woojeong brushed his bangs back carelessly and stared for a long time at the unfamiliar number flashing on the screen before he finally answered.

“Hello.”

-Good morning. This is Attorney Jo Junghoon from Law Firm Isaac. Is this Mr. Lee Woojeong?

“Yes, that’s me. What is this about…”

The voice that asked for confirmation by name was unfamiliar. When Woojeong answered nervously at the mention of a law firm, the other continued.

-I apologize for contacting you so suddenly. There are a few matters that need confirmation, which is why I called. Mr. Lee Woojeong, did you attend the Hansae Group charity night held on December 6?

“The charity event? Yes, I did.”

-Thank you for confirming. On that day, it has been verified that you entered a restricted area unauthorized. Is that correct?

“……”

-Since you attended the event, the company contacted you first, but if you don’t respond to fact confirmation, we will have no choice but to contact you again through the police.

Charity night. Third floor. Trespassing. Police… The man’s words echoed and spun around in Woojeong’s head.

Woojeong had believed that the events of that day had passed without issue, but he now realized that the matter had returned as a problem, and his mouth locked.

A cold shiver ran down his spine.

•••

<Even if there was no malicious intent, we cannot let it pass without fact confirmation. We want to meet directly and hear an explanation of what happened then, so please let us know a possible time.>

Woojeong arrived early at the meeting place but stayed outside the cafe for a long time. He buried his nose inside the scarf wrapped tightly around his neck and let out a deep sigh.

Though the man had spoken politely with full courtesy throughout the call, to Woojeong every word had only sounded frightening. When asked what time would work, Woojeong had chosen a day when he didn’t have a part-time shift, and soon after the appointment time was fixed.

He spent the whole day troubled, but he couldn’t tell Kang Eonju anything and left the house in silence. He had no idea how to even begin to explain.

Woojeong tapped the toe of his sneakers against the paving blocks as he chewed his lip. The meeting time was drawing near, and other than meeting the man, there was no other choice. All he could do was hope that somehow he could resolve it himself.

As soon as he entered the cafe, his eyes met those of a man in a suit sitting near the entrance by the window. Woojeong felt the man’s focus fix on him. When Woojeong approached with his cold hands clenched, the man stood up from his seat.

“Mr. Lee Woojeong?”

“Yes.”

“Pleased to meet you. Please sit.”

The man in glasses looked younger than Woojeong had expected from his voice. He waited until Woojeong sat and then handed over his business card.

[Law Firm Isak, Attorney Jo Junghoon]

Woojeong checked the name on the card and held it tightly in his hand. The man wasted no time and went straight to the matter.

“As I said on the phone, could you explain the circumstances of that day from the beginning?”

Woojeong clasped his hands together and began to speak honestly about what had happened. The man opened a laptop, typed as he listened, and nodded from time to time.

“You’re saying that at the time there was no one restricting access to the hallway?”

“Yes. No one was there.”

“You say you got on the elevator by chance, so how did you enter the room?”

“The door was open.”

“Then why did you go inside? Usually people don’t go in just because a door is open.”

The man’s tone was mild and he smiled, but Woojeong shrank further. He had no excuse.

To be understood, he had to speak truthfully about his condition that day.

“I had to take my medication urgently. I thought I would ask for help if someone was inside, but no one was there… so I went into the bathroom and took the pills first.”

“You say you took medication. What kind of medication was it? If it’s a substance that could cause an issue, we need to be aware.”

“It was a pheromone suppressant. I needed to take it as quickly as possible…”

It wasn’t easy to bring up heat cycle to someone he had just met. His memory was blurred, and even while explaining, he wasn’t fully certain. He said that after taking the pills he had tried to steady himself and ended up falling asleep, and that he remembered nothing after that. The man nodded.

“So you’re saying you have no memory after you took the pills. Has this ever happened before?”

“I don’t know. It was the first time I took the medication outside my home.”

“I see. You said you found yourself on the sofa when you came to, but may I ask why you left without taking any action?”

If someone had been there when he woke, Woojeong would of course have explained and apologized. But he had been too shocked, and his condition was too poor, so the thought of searching for someone or waiting until someone came hadn’t even crossed his mind.

“I was so startled… and since no one was there, I didn’t know what to do. I’m really sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize to me. Thank you for answering sincerely.”

The man closed his laptop, pushed it aside, and took out his phone to type. After some time he slipped the phone into his jacket pocket. Watching him, Woojeong asked carefully.

“…Is it over now?”

“This much should be enough for fact confirmation. Since you responded sincerely today, it doesn’t seem legal measures will be necessary.”

“…Thank you.”

“But I need to tell you how this matter will be concluded.”

Woojeong swallowed dryly. As expected, a few words of apology wouldn’t resolve things so easily.

“Our client wants to meet you directly and speak with you. Do you agree?”

“Me?”

“Yes. The place you entered without permission doubled as a work space, so there were many documents requiring security. That’s why he wants to confirm in person.”

Woojeong nodded. If his actions had caused harm, he wanted to take responsibility somehow.

“Yes. I’ll do it.”

“Then let’s move now. A car will take you.”

“Now?”

“Yes. I know it’s sudden, but since it’s a matter involving security, I ask for your understanding for the urgency.”

The man gathered his things and bowed slightly with a gentler look than at the start.