Boundless Love

4.

Haein, or Haseo, quickly went to retrieve his kickboard from the establishment where he worked. Afterward, he sent a text message to the raccoon-like owner. The message simply stated that he had to quit his job due to family circumstances.

He didn’t care if the angry owner withheld his daily wages after seeing this. He had already gained something much bigger. With a smirk, Haseo rode his kickboard. The foldable kickboard was convenient and not difficult to carry onto the subway.

He had bought it cheaply second-hand recently, and it was better and faster than walking. After taking the subway to Yongsan, Haseo passed through the busy streets and found a small shop in a secluded alley.

The old sign had lost half its letters, nearly losing its original purpose. Still, the shop owner never thought about replacing it. Perhaps because only specific people sought out this place anyway.

Haseo climbed the stairs and flung open the door of the shop located on the second floor.

Ding-a-ling.

The bell attached to the door rang loudly.

“Grandfather!”

When he called out sociably, an old man cautiously poked his face out from behind the iron grate installed for security.

“What, it’s you? What are you pawning today? I won’t take garbage like last time!”

Despite the cold words full of spite, Haseo didn’t flinch. He knew that despite his words, the old man’s heart was softer than he let on.

“Today I have something really good.”

“You say that every time.”

“But it’s true this time.”

Sometimes people wore counterfeits, but a man like Choi Mujin didn’t seem the type. Sometimes you could judge the future of an item by looking at the person. Haseo could bet his wrist that everything he brought this time was genuine.

“Tsk, show me.”

The old man took out a magnifying glass and pushed a tray through the window in the middle of the iron grate.

“This!”

Haseo quickly placed the watch on the tray the old man had pushed forward.

“Let me see.”

The old man put on gloves and carefully examined the watch. Then he nodded and gently placed the watch back on the tray.

“It’s genuine?”

“How much is it worth?”

“Even as a used item, it’s worth at least 100 million won.”

Hearing this, Haseo’s eyes widened.

“W-what did you say?”

“100 million won.”

Haseo broke into a cold sweat and rolled his eyes. How could a watch be worth 100 million won? He had imagined at most hundreds of thousands, and his hands trembled at the unimaginable price. Watching him, the old man removed his magnifying glasses and clicked his tongue again.

“Tsk, why not return it? This seems beyond what you can handle.”

The old man had seen many people bringing in stolen goods, but Haseo was somewhat special to him. He knew how hard Haseo’s life had been and why he lived this way, but sometimes it worried him. Perhaps because he resembled his grandson who had died in a traffic accident.

Haseo bit his lip firmly, but his hesitation was brief. Choi Mujin, who wore a watch worth hundreds of millions, could be a truly dangerous person. But right now, Haseo needed money desperately, even if danger approached.

“How much can you give me?”

“You’re really going to pawn it?”

“I’m dying for money right now, what choice do I have?”

“You might really die doing this.”

Haseo responded to the old man’s words with a smile. His heart felt like it would jump out of his mouth from fear, but he had no choice. He needed a lot of money. His grandmother, who had raised him after his parents abandoned him, had collapsed and was hospitalized.

Life support for an unconscious patient cost much more than he had imagined. For Haseo, who had just graduated high school, it was an unimaginable sum.

‘Life support, wouldn’t it be better to give up?’

Some people concerned for the young Haseo had suggested this. But if he gave up on his grandmother and she died, what about him? He’d be completely alone in the world. He knew that many people die while on life support, but he also knew that some people miraculously wake up.

Haseo couldn’t give up on his grandmother. That’s why he gritted his teeth and tried to earn money. But upon entering society as an adult, he found that there weren’t many options available to him.

‘I’m not smart.’

He wasn’t good at studying, nor was he physically healthy. Working at a logistics center or construction site, where they paid well, was out of the question. After working for just one day, he would be bedridden for over a week, so it was actually a loss. He tried other part-time jobs, but no matter what he did, it wasn’t easy to earn as much as he needed.

The world was too cold to Haseo.

‘I need money.’

Haseo drifted and began to take on easier work. Selling his body, or using it to commit fraud. He would pick a suitable person, spend the night with them, and take all their money or possessions. At first, his hands would shake from fear, but his targets couldn’t report him to the police.

Because they had something to hide. If they reported him, it would reveal that they were homosexual. There were plenty of reasons. There were occasionally exceptions, but most people acted as Haseo expected.

‘I know this is wrong.’

He would probably go to hell when he died.

“You’ll get into big trouble living like this.”

The old man advised, but Haseo brushed it off with a smile again.

“Life is always big trouble, anyway. More importantly, how much can you give me?”

“30 million.”

“No, you said it’s worth 100 million even second-hand?”

“Do you think it’s easy to handle stolen goods? I’m giving you more because it’s you.”

Of course, he understood that sentiment, but knowing the original price, he felt regret. As if reading Haseo’s mind, the old man tried to appease him.

“In return, I’ll handle the aftermath well. You won’t get this much money anywhere else?”

Unless someone was trying to rip him off, no one would offer as much as the old man. Haseo knew this too, so he had no choice but to nod.

“Alright.”

“Good. Then wait a moment.”

When dealing with stolen goods, burner accounts were typically used. But since Haseo didn’t have one, he always received cash.

“Do you want to take it all at once? Or split it up?”

“Split it up.”

“Then, how many times?”

“Three times.”

“You’re making this troublesome.”

Despite saying this, the old man prepared 10 million won in cash and handed it to Haseo.

“Be careful not to get robbed on your way.”

“Come on, who do you think I am?”

“Who? A fool who engages in amateur honey trap schemes.”

The old man shook his head and watched Haseo’s back as he left the pawn shop. He was actually a good kid, just unlucky in life. But Haseo wasn’t the only such person. All the old man could offer was sympathy.

* * *

The first thing Haseo did with the money was go to the hospital to pay the overdue bills.

“Don’t be late next time.”

After paying the hospital fees, the usually irritable staff member’s face was softer than usual. Next, he went to the ward to see his grandmother.

‘My cute little puppy!’

The face that used to say that with a smile was always affectionate. But now, only dark shadows hung over the face before him.

“Grandmother.”

Even so, Haseo didn’t cry or become depressed. Just as when his grandmother was awake, he played the role of a cute grandson. He carefully caressed her wrinkled hand and cheerfully talked about made-up daily events. As he did so, his chest began to swell slightly with hope. Perhaps his grandmother would open her eyes and call his name as she used to?

“So I told my friend, how could that make any sense?”

The hope was never fulfilled, but having hope was what allowed him to keep living. After staying for about an hour, it was time to leave. Apart from scamming others, he also worked at a convenience store, so he had to get moving.

The hourly wage wasn’t good, but the advantage was that he could eat the discarded food.

“Grandmother, I’ll come again next time.”

Haseo smiled brightly even though no one was watching. His steps leaving the hospital room were heavy but didn’t stop. He greeted a nurse he met at the entrance and quickened his pace to leave the hospital. As he headed toward his kickboard parked in a corner, two bulky men in black suits blocked his path.

“Huh?”

As he blinked in surprise, one of them lowered his sunglasses and looked Haseo up and down.

‘This is dangerous.’

Haseo smiled nervously and stepped backward. Since the hospital was right in front of him, he planned to escape inside when the opportunity arose, but he tripped and fell down right there.

“Ack!”

While tears welled up from the pain that felt like his knee would break, one of the bulky men grabbed and lifted Haseo. It felt like being lifted like a sack of rice.

“Why, why are you doing this!”

When he deliberately raised his voice, the bulky man warned in a low voice.

“If you shout, things won’t be pleasant.”

His delivery was respectful, but the content was anything but. Held by the bulky man, Haseo’s mind raced quickly. Many possibilities came to mind, but somehow he had an idea of who had ordered him to be brought in.

‘I should have listened to the old man.’

But without that money, he couldn’t have paid the hospital bill today. If he had known this would happen, he would have taken all the money at once and deposited it at the hospital in advance. He wasn’t sure if that would have worked, but he felt regret.

‘Yes, regret.’

He knew this would happen someday. But Haseo didn’t want to give up here. Even while being dragged by the bulky men, he looked for an opportunity to escape. If he was taken away and never returned, his grandmother might die.

He was desperate.

NOTES: 

Won – Korean currency (100 million won would be approximately $75,000-90,000 USD)

Yongsan – A district in Seoul