RB 45

There was a time he tried it once, thinking if his fingerprints disappeared, the loan sharks would not be able to find him. Because of that foolish act, only his skin peeled, and he suffered for days.

“Ah… that is too cruel a method.”

It really was. Eunho let out a faint laugh.

Ahn Jaehwan was examining Eunho’s reddened fingers. His glasses had a small lens attached like a telescope. On top of that, he wore a white coat, so he looked like an important surgeon in charge of a major operation.

“Eunho-ssi’s hands will not be damaged. They must not be.”

“Medical technology has advanced so much.”

“If there is money, anything is possible. Of course, it will be criticized since it is illegal.”

Ahn Jaehwan took off the loupe glasses he had been wearing and switched back to his regular pair. His stiffened upper body finally relaxed, as though all the work was finished.

“Of course, it will be me and Choi Yeorok who will take the blame. Sim Eunho-ssi, you don’t need to worry.”

That was the point he meant. Eunho only smiled and nodded.

He sat waiting until the heat faded from his hands. Normally, Ahn Jaehwan would pester him with questions and talk until it felt bothersome, but today he was quieter than usual. He only glanced at Eunho’s face from time to time.

Every time their eyes met, they exchanged awkward smiles. Ahn Jaehwan bit his lips, pulled off his nitrile gloves, then messed his hair once and spoke with a sigh.

“For the time being I will also stay in this house. If you ever feel troubled or… if you need to talk, do not keep it inside. Come to me anytime.”

“Yes.”

“I mean it.”

“Yes, I will.”

Ahn Jaehwan looked at him with pity. Eunho had no idea why he was looking at him with such sympathy. Feeling embarrassed for no reason, Eunho sniffled with a dry nose. At that time, he could not even guess the reason for the concern.

After three rounds of laser procedures, his hands became smooth overall. Looking closely, he could confirm the fingerprints were gone. That showed how faint an existence fingerprints really were. Normally they barely stood out, but once gone, it felt strangely odd.

On the day Choi Yoonho’s fingerprints were engraved, Choi Yeorok was also present.

Just one more person entered the room, yet the atmosphere grew cold. Both the operator and the subject of the procedure were more tense than usual because of the observer.

Choi Yoonho’s fingerprints of both hands were displayed on the large monitor. The dense black ridges intertwined tightly, it was dizzying even to look at.

At that moment, Ahn Jaehwan moved the mouse. A 3D-rendered hand floated on the screen, moving freely, and Eunho was genuinely impressed.

“Today you must not move at all, so you will be put under general anesthesia.”

Ahn Jaehwan explained in advance as he shook a milky ampoule. Soon a needle pierced Eunho’s vein.

He felt a sharp sting and his head turned hazy in an instant. Within less than a minute, Eunho completely passed out.

After checking Eunho’s state, Ahn Jaehwan began the procedure in earnest. The machine, shaped like robotic arms, started moving according to the settings. Red laser beams flickered, and white smoke rose from Eunho’s fingertips.

The smell of burning flesh spread faintly, but Sim Eunho slept peacefully. Yeorok watched every step of the engraving on his glossy fingertips without missing a single part.

The procedure ended in twenty minutes. After that, he had to rest. While Ahn Jaehwan pressed a cold ice pack to Eunho’s hand, Yeorok lifted the other hand and inspected the result. Grotesque patterns gradually surfaced on the reddened fingers. Since they were machine-engraved, there would not be a single error.

Ahn Jaehwan moved to treat the remaining hand. Yeorok handed Eunho’s hand over without resistance, then gently stroked his head instead. It was his way of praising him for the sacrifice. The one asleep would not know whether Yeorok was stroking or hitting him.

Ahn Jaehwan stared openly at what Yeorok was doing.

“This is what they mean by giving the disease and giving the cure. You and I are doing exactly that.”

Yeorok laughed even after the cold remark. No matter what Ahn Jaehwan said, he focused only on brushing back Eunho’s disheveled bangs.

“Does it bother you?”

“Of course it bothers me. I am human too, I feel sorry.”

Ahn Jaehwan let out a hollow laugh, calling him shameless. The Choi Yeorok he knew was not someone who would feel guilt.

“Your lies are getting better. Someone like Eunho-ssi would fall for them.”

Yeorok did not reply and only smile. He might not feel sorry, but that he was bothered wasn’t a lie.

His fingertips continued parting Eunho’s hair and touching his smooth forehead. It was his way of comforting Sim Eunho, who would face countless hardships from now on with Choi Yoonho’s brand .

‎

‎

He was strictly ordered to not to use his hands for about a day after the procedure. Eunho stretched both his hands out. With only his fingertips wrapped in bandages, they looked like frog’s feet. Contrary to his worries, there was no pain.

Seo Taehwa was busy tending to Eunho. Because Eunho’s hands were bound, he placed a soft cushion behind his back and kept pushing juice, chocolate, and other snacks into his mouth. He was so attentive that Eunho actually felt uncomfortable being taken care of like this.

“Hyung… you don’t have to do this much. I can handle most things by myself.”

“What great thing do you think I’ve done?”

Seo Taehwa answered somewhat gloomily. His expression had been dark lately. Since he was someone who usually smiled, the change stood out all the more.

“…Hyung, did something bad happen?”

Eunho asked carefully. With someone else it might not matter, but Seo Taehwa’s subdued appearance bothered him a lot.

“No, nothing.”

“……”

“It’s just… seeing even your fingerprints changed made it feel real. I think the time has come for me to harden my heart too.”

Eunho quietly repeated his words in his head. Did he mean that from now on he would treat him like the real Choi Yoonho? Was engraving fingerprints something that meaningful, enough to change his attitude? Eunho looked at his fingers wrapped round and round in bandages and thought for a long while.

He only understood the true meaning of Seo Taehwa’s words the very next day.

“Eunho-ya, do you have a moment?”

Late in the evening, Seo Taehwa came to his room and said something unusual. Since he looked even stiffer than usual, Eunho followed him with some doubt.

On the first floor in the reception room, Seo Taehwa’s laptop was open. Did he have something else to teach him? Without suspicion, Eunho sat down on the sofa. Seo Taehwa soon sat next to him. His face was still stiff.

“You roughly know how Choi Yoonho messed around outside, right?”

“Yes.”

“If you meet Choi Yoonho’s acquaintances, you’ll probably have to mix with them the same way he did.”

Eunho nodded. He had already memorized the personal details of Choi Yoonho’s acquaintances. Among the videos Seo Taehwa had given him, there were also ones related to that, so he had figured out how Choi Yoonho’s tone or actions came out when he was with close friends. He could not call it perfect, but he was confident he had become quite similar.

“And then?”

Seo Taehwa’s hesitation was strange. The way he licked or chewed his dry lips made Eunho nervous too. When Eunho urged him a little, Seo Taehwa suddenly reached toward the laptop.

“Just look at it directly. That’s better.”

He selected a video and opened it full screen. Without thinking, Eunho pressed play on the laptop handed to him. Soon several voices came out. The monitor’s light quickly illuminated Eunho’s face.

As Eunho silently watched the video, the color drained from his face.

His stiff expression and his smooth retinas reflected the sex video of Choi Yoonho like a mirror.

-Did you wipe the lens clean?

-Yeah, it’s coming out well.

-You need to film me nicely, right?

Choi Yoonho gave a pretty smile toward the camera lens. In the video, his eyes looked a little unfocused and he looked very excited.

-Ah but… is it really okay to film this? What if later I’m the only one who gets screwed?

-I said it’s fine.

-I can’t trust that. Say it directly on camera.

The man filming demanded proof. Choi Yoonho, who had been walking ahead, suddenly turned around.

-I told him to film, and I wasn’t threatened. On top of that, I’m more sober now than ever. Satisfied?

His frowning face clearly showed annoyance. But then he smiled brightly. As always, Choi Yoonho’s mood swung back and forth.

-Film it well, then send it to Haegang and get a solid payoff, Mr. Commoner.

Choi Yoonho stepped closer to the camera, tapped the man’s cheek twice, then continued walking. He crossed the corridor inside the guest room and reached the room at the end. When he opened the door, the large room was full of guests. The video panned across the gathered naked bodies.

-Hey, don’t look anywhere else, just film me. Got it?

Choi Yoonho grabbed the shaking camera and fixed it to point only at himself. Then he untied the sash of his gown.

While he was exposing his naked body, someone came up behind him and naturally embraced him. Then that person turned his chin and slipped an unidentified pill between his parted lips.

After swallowing the pill, Choi Yoonho smacked his lips and frowned.

-Ah, why give me this? The effect is too strong, I don’t like it.

-That makes it better for me.

-Pervert bastard. Look at your eyes rolling already.

-Says the one to talk, you’ll be the same soon.