Story Of A Villain

Was it said that if you get on Gu Wonjae’s or these people’s bad side, you’d disappear without a trace? Suddenly, a fear of a different dimension overwhelmed him.“I just… want to go back to my room.”His voice kept cracking like that of a child. The man with tied hair, leaning against the rock, snickered, saying, “He’s crying, he’s crying.” Someone else murmured it was really not fun. His heart was beating too fast, making him dizzy and nauseous.Gu Wonjae, too, had returned to an expression of boredom and extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray.“You keep making me repeat myself.”“…”“Come closer.”A command came out with a sigh-like tone. Cheongwoo took several deep breaths to calm down.So, Gu Wonjae was demanding some ‘fun’ from Cheongwoo. The kind that VIPs at Dowonhyang would expect from hosts.‘Should I dance in front of him? But I absolutely hate that.’The deliberation was brief.Cheongwoo, having steeled his resolve, began to move through the hot spring water towards him, despite his partially submerged body. Everyone’s eyes followed Cheongwoo’s movements. Gu Wonjae was still sitting comfortably on the rock.As he approached close enough, Gu Wonjae tilted his cold, three-white eyes slightly. Cheongwoo felt overwhelmed again. That eerie aura.Due to tension, Cheongwoo clenched his fists. He trembled but looked straight at him with clear eyes.“Should I… kneel?”“That wouldn’t be fun.”Cheongwoo bit his lower lip. He felt a bit defiant even amidst this. What exactly was he supposed to do?Nothing else came to mind. So he tried to combine all of Gu Wonjae’s previous demands. Make the request with action. Not in a boring way. Make it fun. Make a man happy.“Then… then…”After a long pause, he asked in a small voice.“Should I sit on your lap?”Gu Wonjae’s lips finally curled up as if amused.“Yes.”Silence fell around them again.Cheongwoo, hesitating, slowly extended his hands. Gu Wonjae’s eyes followed the pink tips of his fingers. Despite his fingers trembling with fear, Cheongwoo did what he had to do. He wrapped his arms around the man’s solid neck as Gu Wonjae desired, to give him pleasure.“Huh.” Someone from behind gasped. Cheongwoo tightened his trembling arms around Gu Wonjae’s neck, pulling himself closer. Then, his awkwardly opened soft thighs straddled the man’s firm legs one by one.As he sat on his lap, Gu Wonjae took a slow breath. His cool cheek pressed against Cheongwoo’s feverish, wet cheek. The pressed chest was harder, hotter, and broader than expected. Cheongwoo’s anxious heart beat rapidly.“…Ah.”Gu Wonjae, blinking slowly, turned his head slightly to whisper into Cheongwoo’s sensitive ear.“You’re quite something.”Cheongwoo, trembling, closed his eyes tightly. Wasn’t this just like a squirrel clumsily clinging to a massive tree? But no other way came to mind. Cheongwoo whispered with his forehead against Gu Wonjae’s neck.“Please… let me go now.”Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible. Gu Wonjae was indeed feeling ‘fun’ after a very long time.It was a sensation he hadn’t felt since his energy began to wane three years ago. He took a deep breath as if inhaling the light blue energy that flickered and froze in front of him. It cleared his throat.“Oh my. President Shin got his ass handed to him.”“The kids selling their bodies these days are so sharp. Just by looking at their build, you can estimate where the money will flow.”“Shut up, will you? Hey, where’s my drink?”The men started chattering again. ‘Selling their bodies…’ Hearing that, Cheongwoo was startled and instinctively twisted his waist. He really wanted to get down now. At that moment, Gu Wonjae pulled him even closer. Gu Wonjae was wearing only a thin bathrobe, slightly opened at the front, so Cheongwoo felt the man’s firm abs pressed against his wet navel.“Huh.”Cheongwoo’s chin, lifted in surprise, rested on Gu Wonjae’s shoulder. His slender waist was encircled by one arm, and the force pulling him up made his light body bounce up and down.“Please… loosen your grip… right?”Cheongwoo, trembling, made a small, pained sound while twisting his waist more. It felt like a hot energy was spreading where their skin touched.Sensing that subtle sign, Cheongwoo started to wriggle involuntarily, and as he did, Gu Wonjae’s upper body got wet in places.The coercive force tightened around Cheongwoo even more.“Stay still.”There was warmth in the low voice. Cheongwoo’s pale face turned as if it would burst.“No.”His struggle intensified.“Let me go. I just… did what I was told, why do you keep…”Whimpering quietly, he hit Gu Wonjae’s shoulders with his fists and pinched the arm that was squeezing his waist, but it didn’t have any effect. A sense of powerlessness he had never felt before overwhelmed him. It was then that Gu Wonjae, suppressing a chuckle, buried his high nose in Cheongwoo’s neck.A fresh, faint mint scent came from the tender nape. The high bridge of his nose slowly brushed along the soft line of the neck. Each time the carotid artery pulsed, a thicker scent spread from there. The deeper he inhaled, the more it felt like blocked blood vessels were opening, and energy was flowing through his whole body. His foggy mind cleared infinitely.Was this what it felt like to receive life?Gu Wonjae slowly opened his eyes. In that moment, an unprecedented, intense light flickered in his cold eyes, and Cheongwoo froze.Something hard was stirring below him.“A snake…!”Cheongwoo exclaimed in shock.It was lying long across the man’s left thigh, slowly raising its head like a majestic and graceful snake.The sensation was vividly felt through the wet clothes. Realizing the situation, laughter erupted from the crowd again. How did he manage to get it up, when even all sorts of tonics hadn’t worked? All sorts of jeers poured out mercilessly. He felt like he was losing his mind.‘But he doesn’t get hard, right?!’He was sure Taesung had said he didn’t get hard. Panic swept over him like a tidal wave. Held tightly against the other man, Cheongwoo took short, quick breaths. He couldn’t fully grasp the loud commotion around him because Gu Wonjae’s low chuckle was licking at his ear.“A snake… what?”Ah.His small mouth gaped. Cheongwoo managed to pull his upper body slightly away from him. He met Gu Wonjae’s gaze with a face as red as could be.It was a full moon night. Gu Wonjae’s black pupils reflected the moonlight, and in them, a sharp aura of hostility glinted.Unaware that this was a typical reaction when Gu Wonjae used his ability, Cheongwoo felt like he was facing a sharp blade head-on, making it hard to breathe. Meanwhile, the enormous threat below continued to grow in volume.“Let me go…!”His body jumped as if touched by fire. Cheongwoo’s face, now gasping, was hard to find a spot that wasn’t red.“Yes, don’t, don’t hold me, it hurts. Let go!”Gu Wonjae’s breath also quickened steadily. Like a snake hunting, he began to constrict Cheongwoo’s body with his arms, tightening around his armpits and thin waist. Hah…! Cheongwoo’s eyes widened with the intense pressure.‘…It keeps getting bigger…’He couldn’t stay like this.He had to get out. But the more he struggled, the tighter Gu Wonjae’s grip became, until his ribs felt like they were being crushed. Breathing was now difficult. What should he do?Then he saw the handsome ear in front of him. Without further thought, Cheongwoo turned his head and bit Gu Wonjae’s ear.“Ah!”Startled by the sudden pain, Gu Wonjae grimaced and let out a low groan. His arms loosened momentarily.Seizing the chance, Cheongwoo grabbed the rock to pull himself up and crawled out of Gu Wonjae’s embrace. The noise was deafening. The onlookers were still reacting explosively; some were even clapping.“Hah…”What a naughty boy.Gu Wonjae exhaled sharply. When he turned to look while holding his throbbing ear, Cheongwoo had already escaped far away. He was running for his life without looking back, disappearing among the trees like a literal flying squirrel.“Should we go after him?”An attendant asked, bowing. Instead of answering, Gu Wonjae slowly massaged his bitten ear. He still felt the dampness and the sting of tooth marks, with the heat below still present.“…”He had found the rainwater.Just thinking about it made his body heat up again. His eyes deepened with a desire that pulled at his red lips. Then, looking in the direction where Cheongwoo had vanished, his eyes once again glowed with a bluish light.The energy of the delicate, light blue rainwater was flowing like the Milky Way through the underbrush.🧸Running along the path through the woods, his legs felt weak.He stumbled several times, and at one point, he fell forward, hitting his knee. Fortunately, it wasn’t downhill, so he didn’t roll, but mud and leaves stuck all over his wet body.“Huh… ah.”Cheongwoo sniffled as he examined his injured knee. Lifting his wet trousers, he saw beads of blood already forming on the scraped skin. A flash of moonlight reflected off the blood, and when he looked up, he saw a large moon with a red halo.It looked like the man’s eyes.His breath was ragged. His shoulders shook.He didn’t know how he managed to get out of the woods and back to the dormitory. Cheongwoo hobbled into the yard of the servant quarters. He saw the doors lined up along the narrow veranda. It took longer than usual to find his room.After taking off his wet shoes and rushing into his room, he firmly closed the paper door. Then he hung a spoon on the round door handle and stepped back. Slowly, he began to calm down. Cheongwoo stood still in the middle of the room, taking deep breaths.As he shook off the leaves stuck to his body, memories of being pressed against the man kept resurfacing. The chest that felt like it was made of stone instead of muscle, the powerful arms that wouldn’t yield no matter what he did, and the strange heat that had poked at the inside of his tender thigh.Anyone would know what that man truly wanted after such an experience.‘…Scary.’A chilling sensation ran down his spine again. It was an experience he couldn’t believe even after living through it. The men’s loud laughter and the hands that had toyed with his body like a plaything.‘What if I get caught in their games again? Should I quit this job before that happens?’Cheongwoo, feeling uneasy, massaged his arm for a moment before heading to the low table and turning on the desk lamp. He pulled out his backpack from the corner and opened the front pocket.His hand trembled as he took out the bundle of money. Counting it carefully, he had saved 5,540,000 won so far. With a week left until payday, including the medical expenses for his grandmother, he was short by approximately 450,000 won.He took a moment to cool his head and think rationally.If he quit Dowonhyang and went down the mountain to the town, there would be a labor office. This area was full of farms, and it was harvest season. Whether it was short-term part-time work or manual labor, he could certainly earn 500,000 won in a week.As he was about to pack his bag with these thoughts, something fell out from between the money. It was the acorn he had picked up in the mountains to make a bracelet for his grandmother.‘But… what about after?’Cheongwoo’s eyes dimmed as he looked at the acorn on the floor.For someone like him, a high school graduate with no skills or certifications, earning 6 million won a month was not an easy task. He had to pay for medical expenses every month, and even a single day’s delay in repaying the loan shark would make the interest unmanageable.Realizing this, the strength in the hand holding the money faded.‘I haven’t done anything wrong to those people.’He didn’t want to quit Dowonhyang as if he were running away when he hadn’t done anything wrong.Going to the hot spring without thinking? Being foolishly noticed by them? Was that really his fault? Cheongwoo was just living each day as if it were a battle. That’s how it was now, and it would be the same in the future.Cheongwoo shook his head and lightly slapped his cheeks to face reality again.‘Instead of thinking about quitting, I should hide.’Their stay at Dowonhyang would last at most a month. Even the fun of playing the immortal wouldn’t last more than a day or two. They would soon get bored and return to the city. Cheongwoo just needed to avoid them until then. If he could hold out for another six months after that, this tough uphill battle would be over.He carefully put the hard-earned money back into his bag and pushed it under the desk. After changing his clothes, Cheongwoo spread out his bedding. Even though wet leaves were scattered on the floor, he didn’t have the energy to clean them up.Shivering, he got into bed, curling up like a bean, eyes tightly shut, wishing this night would never end.🧸However, the alarm set for 8 AM rang relentlessly. His eyes, not having had proper rest, looked more hollow than usual.After taking a shower, Cheongwoo rummaged through the cloth closet to get a spare uniform, which was a thin, white long-sleeved T-shirt. It felt cold outside, so he considered wearing his old windbreaker, but he decided against it, thinking it would make him more noticeable to Gu Wonjae since he’d already been seen in that jacket.Instead, he wore a hat and deliberately chose a large mask, which hid most of his small, pale face.“Did you sleep well?”“Yeah, did you sleep well too, Cheongwoo?”After fixing his clothes, Cheongwoo left the room. He exchanged brief greetings with his fellow servers before starting the cleaning. Even though his knee ached from the fall last night and he felt a bit feverish, he didn’t show it.Suddenly, he felt a chill at the back of his neck and turned around.Was it the residual shock from last night? It felt like someone was watching him. He looked around several times, but there was no suspicious sign.‘…Why am I so scared now?’There was no way that man would come to such a remote corner of Dowonhyang.Shaking his head, Cheongwoo finally joined his colleagues and headed to their designated cleaning area. But there, the manager was waiting.The manager usually only came to the cleaning areas on days there was a morning meeting, which made Cheongwoo feel uneasy. Meetings were on Mondays and Fridays. Today was Thursday.“Hey, come here.”That unease soon turned into reality.The manager, with a cigarette in his mouth, spotted Cheongwoo, whose face was half-covered. Cheongwoo felt his heart sink. Sensing something odd, Cheongwoo instinctively stepped back.“…Why?”“There’s something to tell you. Let’s go to the office first.”“Just me?”Since the incident with the night stew, the manager’s tone towards Cheongwoo had become increasingly curt. Yeah, just you, Yeon Cheongwoo. He replied irritably and walked ahead. The other servers looked back and forth between the manager and Cheongwoo with curious eyes. Cheongwoo tried to calm his trembling as he followed the manager.“Cheongwoo, from today, you’re in charge of serving in the VIP annex.”As soon as they got to the office, the manager declared abruptly. His mouth went dry.“Annex, you mean… which one?”“Which one would it be? No. 7, of course.”No. 7 was Gu Wonjae’s annex.“Breakfast at 8 AM, lunch at 1 PM, dinner at 6 PM. You need to serve three meals a day.”His fingertips grew cold. This wasn’t just about avoiding him; if he had to go in and out of there three times a day, how could he avoid meeting him? Cheongwoo looked at the manager blankly for a moment without answering.“From now on, you won’t be doing any other serving. You’ll also be in charge of cleaning that annex exclusively.”“…No.”Cheongwoo shook his head with a pale face.“I need to earn a lot of tips. If I can’t do other serving, how will I save money?”“Oh, that’s why I’ll adjust your salary to 600.”Cheongwoo momentarily doubted his ears.“…6 million won?”“Yeah, 6 million won.”“…”“Don’t you want it?”This was too precise an amount. He got goosebumps. How did the manager know he needed exactly 6 million won each month? A vague, uncomfortable feeling, like he had swallowed an unknown bug, lingered in his throat.“How does the manager know about the 6 million…?”“You don’t need to know that.”The manager sighed and lit another cigarette.“Anyway, that’s how it’s decided, so keep that in mind. It’s not a bad offer for you, is it? You’ll go back and forth to the annex three times a day and earn 6 million won. It’ll be much easier and more comfortable than what you’re doing now.”“No, I still don’t want it. I won’t do it.”Tears welled up in Cheongwoo’s large eyes as if they would fall any moment, but he didn’t want to cry in front of others. He shook his head stubbornly, his eyes wide and his lips tightly pressed together.“…I’m, that person in the annex, he’s too scary…”“I’m telling you in advance, you don’t have other choices.”Muttering and scratching the back of his head, the manager suddenly looked annoyed.“Kid, you should have avoided him better.”His tone suggested that all of this was Cheongwoo’s fault.Cheongwoo, with his pale face, only moving his lips, slowly asked back.“What if I say I’m quitting Dowonhyang?”It was like his last resort, but the manager seemed to have anticipated this, just chuckling.“Yeah, then we’ll sue you.”“What charge…?”“The food from Dowonhyang that you stole last time.”Cheongwoo involuntarily gasped in shock.“Hey, it’s all on the CCTV.”“…”“If you understand, then go. Looks like the meal is already here.”The manager nodded towards the office door, and Cheongwoo turned around with a dazed look. The special meal for the VIP annex had arrived on a tray at the door.🧸In the end, he came. In front of Gu Wonjae’s annex.The surroundings were dark before he entered the office, but now they were blindingly bright.Cheongwoo, who had been staring blankly at the mountain peaks, pulled his chin down. The fine veins on his pale hand gripping the tray handle were visible. His slender arms were trembling.He repeated to himself for a moment. I haven’t done anything wrong to that man. So, if we happen to meet, just pretend like nothing happened. It should be fine if I do that.‘…Maybe biting his ear was a bit wrong.’The next moment, he shook his head to clear his cluttered thoughts. He felt like he was making excuses for himself while the other person probably had no sense of guilt. It was foolish.Because it was early morning, the annex village was eerily quiet. Most members were likely asleep since they have breakfast at the Dachaewon which opens at 10 AM.‘He must be sleeping too, right?’This breakfast could be left on the terrace just like last time, and then he could leave. Cheongwoo fixed the tray at the small side gate next to the main gate, gripped the tray with a determined look. One minute limit. He had to finish this quickly.Holding the tray firmly with both hands, he gently pushed the side gate with his hips. The door opened smoothly. He crouched as low as possible to avoid making noise and swiftly stepped onto the terrace.He was careful not to let even a breath escape. As he did, he very gently placed the tray on the table.He managed to do all that without any noise. Now, he just needed to turn around and get out. But then, there was a small sound, ‘tick,’ from behind, followed by something rolling.Cheongwoo slowly looked down. Next to his shoes, a very small acorn had rolled in. His heart started beating uneasily. After hesitating for a while, he turned around to see a horse chestnut tree in the corner of the courtyard.“…”Under the shade of the horse chestnut tree, in a low gazebo, sat Gu Wonjae with his legs crossed. One elbow was casually resting on his knee, and he was playfully rolling something in his hand.“Hello.”His voice was low. Despite the situation, Cheongwoo instinctively bowed in return.“Ah, hello…?”“Take off your mask.”The man whispered, tossing what he held in his hand lightly again.It flew in an arc, this time hitting Cheongwoo’s chest before falling onto the deck. Thud. Thud.It was another acorn. Perhaps the size of a thumbnail. Unusually small and shiny, somehow familiar in shape.Cheongwoo took off his mask and slowly focused his vision, scanning around Gu Wonjae. Next to where he was sitting in the gazebo, there was a black backpack lying alone.Even from a distance, he could tell at a glance. It was Cheongwoo’s bag.“Are you really a squirrel?”The man muttered to himself while looking at the acorn in his hand.“Why would you collect such things?”“…Isn’t that my bag?”“Yeah, it’s your bag.”Is he insane?How could a person be so shameless… and how did he get that? No, why?No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t find an answer. Cheongwoo’s mouth opened slightly. This situation was just mind-blowing and absurd.Even in this moment, he thought that his bag looked so out of place with this man. His bag was too worn out, the color faded…Then, another acorn flew towards him. Cheongwoo now realized where the acorns the man had been playing with came from—they were taken from the front pocket of his bag.Biting his lower lip as his mind cleared, he raised his eyes slightly. Not only acorns, but the money Cheongwoo had saved was also in that bag. So, this was, by all accounts, theft.“Did you steal my bag?”“I didn’t do it myself.”Of course, he must have used someone under him. Cheongwoo was momentarily speechless from the absurdity.“Why…? Why did you take it?”“I thought you might run away.”Gu Wonjae answered without smiling. When their calm gazes met, the events of the previous night came back like an ambush. The faint scent of cologne and the warm breath from the man’s solid neck. Even now, the man’s composed expression made it hard for him to breathe.“Please return my bag.”Cheongwoo broke the silence with courage.“Or else, I’ll, I’ll report it.”The thick veins on the man’s hand holding the acorn bulged. His hand was very large. Having experienced once how hard it was to escape from that grip, Cheongwoo felt a sudden fear of the secluded nature of this annex. A mocking smile seemed to escape from Gu Wonjae’s lips.“I’m asking you.”Tick.“Why collect these?”Another acorn was tossed, rolling to Cheongwoo’s feet.Cheongwoo, who had been looking down at his feet for a moment, finally crouched down and began to pick up the acorns scattered on the deck.“They’re important to me.”“Important? These acorns?”With a scoff, another acorn flew.Cheongwoo, silently watching the acorn, moved forward in a duck-like walk to pick it up again.“I was going to give them to my grandmother.”“Ah. Is your grandmother a squirrel too?”Even while saying such nonsense, Gu Wonjae’s voice was low and calm. Somehow, he didn’t look as lazy or sleepy as usual.“…I’m going to make a bracelet for her. She’s very sick and only stays in the hospital, so I thought she might feel nostalgic and happy if I brought her something like this.”With that sincere answer, the man finally let out a low hum. He rested his elbow on his crossed knee and casually propped up his chin.Cheongwoo, holding a handful of acorns, took a moment to catch his breath.“How did you get my bag?”“Easily.”“…”“You should have kept it better.”After a while, Cheongwoo straightened up from his crouched position. Although his body trembled, he tried not to show it, and Gu Wonjae watched him as if he were observing a spectacle.“Now, please really give it back. It’s my bag.”“Come and get it.”The response was cheerful, which only made Cheongwoo more uneasy.As Cheongwoo hesitated, Gu Wonjae tossed another acorn. Cheongwoo slightly frowned. Was he only satisfied after throwing everything he had? He must have been quite bored.No matter what, Cheongwoo quickly bent over to pick up what had fallen. As he picked them up one by one, he found himself at Gu Wonjae’s feet.Gu Wonjae uncrossed his legs and then gently stepped on the last acorn. Cheongwoo’s outstretched fingers froze mid-air. With a rustling sound, the acorn lightly cracked, and Cheongwoo’s pink fingertips trembled before curling up.“Are you doing this… for fun?”He asked in a small voice, slowly lifting his head. At that moment, a warning bell rang in his mind.‘I shouldn’t do this.’Yet, his mouth moved on its own, and there was a subtle sharpness in his raised gaze. Gu Wonjae looked down at Cheongwoo’s flushed face with interest.They weren’t particularly valuable. Acorns were all over the mountains, and he could go collect more if he had the time.But Cheongwoo had clearly explained that these were gifts for his grandmother. Therefore, these weren’t just any acorns found in the mountains, and he couldn’t understand why this man would so carelessly throw or crush them.“Do I look like I’m having fun now?”Gu Wonjae whispered calmly, his voice always sending shivers down Cheongwoo’s spine.Feeling fear, Cheongwoo instinctively stepped back. As he stood up straight, Gu Wonjae’s indifferent gaze followed him up. Meeting those unique, strange eyes made him feel frozen again.But at the same time, he felt wronged by this situation.I haven’t done anything wrong. Cheongwoo repeated that to himself.“If not… if not, then why are you doing this to me? Why steal my bag and break my things?”Gu Wonjae chuckled in disbelief before slowly countering.“Then shall I steal you and break you instead?”“I think that might be more fun for me too.”The added chilling words felt like they were cutting into his ears. There was an arrogance in his voice, implying that he could certainly do that.Cheongwoo, with reddened eyes, took a trembling breath and reached for his bag beside Gu Wonjae. Checking the front pocket, he found the money was still there. Counting out roughly a million won that Gu Wonjae had given him in tips, he held out the shaking money with both hands.“I’ll return all the tips you gave me last time.”At this, a slight, amused smile flickered in Gu Wonjae’s eyes before fading.“I’ll give this back, so please, stop now.”“Stop what?”“Stop… treating me like this.”“You really have no manners.”Gu Wonjae stated this without showing any anger. A cold peace followed for a moment.The man looked at Cheongwoo’s trembling fingertips holding the money, then took it without hesitation. He opened the lighter lid beside him and lit the edge of the bills. The action was neither slow nor fast. Cheongwoo could only watch the scene in stunned silence.The money quickly burst into flames.“Why.”He dropped it onto the white pebbles under the gazebo, and the money turned to ash.“Do you think I won’t touch you if you give this money back?”As their silent gazes exchanged, the sound of leaves rustling in the wind grew louder. His cruel, scrutinizing gaze swept over Cheongwoo’s frightened eyes, trembling chin, thin frame, and the sneakers that were so worn out, the toes and soles were almost gone.“Who do you think you are, Cheongwoo?”What are you, Cheongwoo?Even without any swear words, that light sentence cut deeply into Cheongwoo’s heart. With blurred vision, Cheongwoo looked down, barely holding back tears. The man’s money had turned completely into black ash. Gu Wonjae, after casually stepping on it once more, lit a cigarette.“I’ll ask one last question. Will you come to the annex?”He asked for Cheongwoo’s opinion just like he did that day, as if offering an undeserved choice. But Cheongwoo only felt disgust, discomfort, and fear towards his proposal and this situation. He suddenly remembered what Taesung had muttered to himself not long ago. How shitty it was to be treated like a gigolo.Cheongwoo shook his head weakly.“No, I don’t want to… I’m not a gigolo.”Gu Wonjae agreed in an unbelievably gentle tone.“Yeah, you’re not a gigolo.”“…”“Not yet.”Drip. The acorns he had been holding fell powerlessly from his hand.Gu Wonjae held out the old backpack by its strap with one hand. Cheongwoo silently took it with both hands. After giving a polite bow without forgetting his manners, he left through the side gate with the bag in his arms.Left alone, Gu Wonjae chuckled, bringing the cigarette to his lips. His languid gaze rested on the acorns scattered on the ground.🧸Words are like wind. If they blow against you, you listen, and if they’re too hard to bear, you let them pass by.Of course, some winds are so cruel that you stumble before you can shake them off.‘Who do you think you are, Cheongwoo?’So, don’t think about it.Whenever the voice like a sharp wind echoed in his ears, Cheongwoo quickened his pace as if to escape.He placed the old bag on the tray instead of the dishes and hurried back to the servant quarters. A female employee he passed by asked if he was hurt. I fell. Cheongwoo smiled faintly while mentioning the knee he injured last night.Once back in his room, he put the bag down in a corner. He neatly packed the money he had saved into a zippered bag and tucked it into his apron pocket. Though it would be heavy and bothersome to move around with, he thought it would be safer to keep it on him at all times.‘And now, there’s no need to collect tips separately.’Cheongwoo lowered his eyelashes. If the manager’s promise held, he would receive 6 million won each month.“How did you know I needed 6 million won each month?”But no matter how he thought about it, something seemed off.So, Cheongwoo went straight back to the office, grabbed the manager, and asked directly.“I can’t understand why my base salary suddenly increased to 6 million. Is this President Jeong’s decision?”The manager avoided eye contact and gave a vague answer.“Huh? 6 million? You’ve been talking about it everywhere, so you should know.”“I’ve never talked about such personal details.”“Really? Think hard.”“…”Did he?Cheongwoo involuntarily made a troubled face. When he thought about it, he might have mentioned it to Taesung. Taesung wasn’t the type to keep his mouth shut, so he could have accidentally let slip Cheongwoo’s story while talking with various people.Dowonhyang was that small. Once there was something to gossip about, rumors spread quickly. So, what the manager said made sense, but…‘Even so, 6 million for three servings is too much.’Moreover, the condition that he shouldn’t do any other serving kept bothering him.Cheongwoo, who had been deep in thought, looked up with a troubled expression.“I’d like to meet the president today if possible. Can that be arranged?”“Yeah, the president went to Seoul. And why would someone like you meet the president? Hey, you just need to do your job properly and collect your salary on time. You get 6 million for serving, what’s there to complain about?”But who decided on that 6 million?The question rose to his throat, but he swallowed it.“…Then, can I do garden work instead?”Asking belatedly, the manager furrowed one brow in response.“What do you want to do?”“Garden management at Dowonhyang. Why, can’t I do that?”He looked up sharply, speaking in an unusually stern tone. His lips, pressed firmly together, looked so stubborn that the manager just gave a short, dismissive laugh.“Did you not understand what I said earlier? From now on, you only need to clean and serve at No. 7.”“Then I’ll have a lot of free time. You said you’d adjust my salary to 6 million, right? But I still need separate meal expenses.”“That damn meal expense…”“So, I’ll have a lot of free time anyway. I’d rather work during that time. Staying idle makes me anxious and uncomfortable. I want to work.”“You’re the type to look for trouble.”As the manager sighed, ash fell from the tip of his cigarette. Seeing that, Cheongwoo was suddenly reminded of the million won Gu Wonjae had burned.‘Why. Do you think I won’t touch you if you give this money back?’Was all this influenced by that man?The more he thought about it, the stranger it seemed. His salary had suddenly increased to match his needs exactly, and he was placed in a situation where he had to face that man alone.Of course, there was no concrete evidence. Cheongwoo was merely guessing. And with just these suspicions, there was nothing he could do.That’s how it is. With that man’s wealth, controlling Dowonhyang would be nothing. That man had taken measures to ensure Cheongwoo couldn’t quit Dowonhyang, and even if he managed to quit, earning 6 million a month would still be a daunting task.‘You’re not a gigolo.’‘…’‘Not yet.’He felt nauseated for a moment.It felt like he was trapped in the palm of that man’s hand. The fear that everything would go according to that man’s will seemed all too real.“…Wait a moment.”The manager, sighing repeatedly, walked over to the partition. He sat down and whispered into the phone to someone.And so, it was decided that Cheongwoo would follow around the landscapers of Dowonhyang, doing simple chores during his free time.The work turned out to be more enjoyable than expected. In the morning, he toured the greenhouse where they grew vegetables, doing tasks like picking leaves out of ponds or feeding the koi, and also learned how to draw water from a nearby lake to water the ornamental plants with a hose.Was it just a coincidence, or some form of consideration?Cheongwoo was trembling, but fortunately, he didn’t encounter that eerie man during lunch service. The meal tray he peeked at was also neatly emptied, unlike before.Silently, he loaded the empty tray onto the cart and turned around. There, he saw the gazebo where Gu Wonjae had been sitting in the morning.Cheongwoo, while observing it, furrowed his brow slightly and tilted his head in confusion. The ashes from the money that Gu Wonjae burned were still there, but the acorns had disappeared without a trace.‘Did he clear them because he felt bad about it?’He had planned to pick them up if they were still there. It was a bit disappointing. Thinking he would have to go back to the mountain to gather more, he turned around with the tray handle in hand.“Hey? Cheongwoo.”Just as he was about to leave through the side gate, he heard a familiar voice from behind.Turning around in surprise, he saw Taesung. He was coming out of the main gate of No. 9, which was at a junction.Cheongwoo’s face lit up with joy to see him, but the next moment, it turned pale. Beside Taesung was the large man he had encountered the night before—President Shin Junmo.“Hey, hey, where are you scurrying off to?”Before he could think, he tried to turn away, but his nape was grabbed. Gack! Cheongwoo, suppressing a scream, turned back with wide eyes. Regardless, Shin Junmo thrust his grinning face close.“Hello, squirrel?”“Let go, let go!”“Let go? What do you mean, let go? This bastard bit Gu Wonjae’s ear and ran off, yet he’s still alive, huh?”“…President, don’t do that. Let the kid go.”Taesung finally spoke in a calm voice, watching from the side. Only then did Shin Junmo whistle and loosen his grip, and Cheongwoo quickly adjusted his stretched clothes while stepping back. He was really rude. His mood soured.Shin Junmo, with a vile expression, looked down at Cheongwoo with amusement. Cheongwoo clenched his reddened eyes and steadied his breath.“Huh. Look at those eyes. They’re sharp like knives, huh?”“…”“Won’t you lower your gaze?”Shin Junmo raised two fingers in a hook shape. Cheongwoo quickly averted his gaze. His thick eyelashes spread out, casting a fine shadow under his eyes. Looking at this, Shin Junmo chuckled and lit a cigarette loosely.Cheongwoo looked up slightly and murmured.“This is a public place; it’s a no-smoking area.”“…What are you saying?”The man kept laughing.“You seem really easy prey since yesterday. Hey, did you sleep with Gu Wonjae?”Cheongwoo stepped back in shock.“No!”