Crazy A Married Life

#12

The peaceful and elegant restaurant seemed to have instantly transformed into a gloomy space where violence was normalized.

“How can you eat in a place like this, huh?”

“H-how are you here?”

“I saw you all dressed up going to a hotel restaurant last week. I’ve been watching you since then because it was suspicious.”

He seemed to be referring to the moment when Idam went to meet Han Jiwoo at Hayun’s request.

“Yesterday, today, you’ve been eating at nice places? Did you find some sucker?”

“It’s not like that.”

Idam was sweating nervously. Taemin would be coming out soon, and this wasn’t the time to be arguing with Heo Jitae.

“I-I’ll deposit the interest soon. Please wait a little longer.”

Idam could only rub his palms together and plead, wishing he had the money to deposit right away.

“We’ll talk later, okay?”

He needed to send Heo Jitae away quickly. He didn’t want to show this side of himself to Taemin. But Heo Jitae showed no signs of backing down. Instead, he looked cruel, as if about to crush a small animal gasping for air.

“Come here right now.”

Heo Jitae grabbed Idam’s arm and yanked him. Idam wanted to resist but had to comply, fearing Heo Jitae would become more agitated. It was frustrating to have to give up saying goodbye to Taemin in this situation. He thought he’d at least send a text message later, though he wasn’t sure if he’d be in a position to do so.

* * *

The place they were dragged to was a quiet alley opposite the restaurant. The surroundings were all abandoned factories, and while there were streetlights allowing for some visibility, it wasn’t very bright. Although it had been warm today, being here felt like winter had returned.

Idam had his back against the wall, with Heo Jitae and his two henchmen in front of him. He had been dragged like this several times before. And then he would get beaten up. Today, he might be fortunate that he had eaten a big dinner. Last time, he had been starving, which made it incredibly difficult.

“Do you know Haru?”

“Haru? Is that a name?”

“Yes.”

What? Idam’s eyes widened at the unfamiliar name. Heo Jitae looked at him as if he couldn’t believe Idam didn’t know.

“I’m talking about Jang Hayun from Pungjeobcho. He works under the name Haru, shaking his ass. They say he’s an ace, and his price is no joke.”

Shaking his ass? As far as Idam knew, Hayun only did simple serving at that place. If that wasn’t the case, it was too shocking. But considering the impure words Hayun occasionally used and his attempt to date Han Jiwoo, it couldn’t be dismissed as slander.

Moreover, Heo Jitae had never threatened Idam using his acquaintances before. He probably didn’t even know about Hayun’s existence until now. It seemed he had learned about it recently when he started surveillance.

“S-so what?”

“Let’s trade your friend for your principal and interest.”

“What?”

Idam felt his heart sink. The proposal was beyond his ethical boundaries, shaking his thought process. He was confused about what he was hearing.

“There’s a big brother who’s interested in your friend. He runs a large massage parlor in Thailand and wants a high-functioning dominant omega. At first, I thought about sending you, Yeo Idam, but you’re an extremely potent omega, right? So I figured that wouldn’t work.”

Idam felt like all the blood had drained from his body. He’d rather they came after him than Hayun. Hayun was his only friend who stayed by his side despite knowing about his disability and suffering because of it.

“N-no way.”

“Fuck. Are you in any position to say that, huh? You’re barely paying the interest, let alone the principal. You should be licking shit or cum, don’t you think?”

As Heo Jitae yelled and was about to punch Idam’s cheek, a shadow faintly fell across the alley.

“What are you doing here?”

It was Taemin, with his soft and resonant voice. Idam felt his heart sink.

Had he followed after seeing the altercation with Heo Jitae at the restaurant entrance? Sweat began to form on Idam’s forehead at this unwanted situation. He was already feeling unsettled about being pressured again for the fake marriage, and if Taemin learned about his sordid circumstances, he might become even more forceful.

Heo Jitae’s eyes gleamed menacingly, as if he had found new prey. There was also a smile on his lips.

“Hello.”

“…”

“Are you acquainted with our Idam?”

Taemin didn’t answer Heo Jitae’s question, instead staring at him intently. It was a scrutinizing gaze, as if trying to figure out who he was. Idam decided that sending Taemin away was the priority. He approached Taemin hurriedly and started explaining the situation.

“CEO, this person is my uncle.”

Unable to say he was a loan shark, Idam lied.

“W-we were catching up after not seeing each other for a long time.”

“I see.”

Fortunately, Taemin seemed to believe Idam’s lie. Seeing his chance, Idam wanted to send Taemin away quickly and began to say goodbye.

“CEO, thank you for showing me an interesting movie and treating me to a delicious dinner. Although it was a brief encounter, I enjoyed it.”

Idam bowed politely with his small hands clasped together. He hoped Taemin would go his own way quickly. He didn’t want to escalate the situation by having Taemin caught by Heo Jitae, following Hayun.

“Alright. I enjoyed it too.”

Taemin replied compliantly. It was a relief that he didn’t ask more about Heo Jitae or press the issue. Relieved, Idam carefully straightened up. Their eyes met. Taemin’s eyes curved elegantly as he smiled.

“Then I’ll see you again later.”

Huh? See you again later? His response suggesting another meeting was confusing, especially after Idam had said goodbye. While Idam stood dumbfounded, Taemin left the alley.

“Yeo Idam. What’s this? Are you dating?”

Heo Jitae approached and asked with interested eyes.

“No, I’m not.”

Idam denied it immediately. He couldn’t understand why Heo Jitae was viewing his relationship with Taemin that way. It was obvious that he and Taemin didn’t match.

“The atmosphere was like you were fucking, though.”

Idam was taken aback by Heo Jitae’s blatant assumption. Although he had spent a night in the same bed with Taemin, nothing substantial had happened.

“Are you better than you look? Your boyfriend looks like a nouveau riche, so why are you so slow in paying back the money?”

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

It seemed Heo Jitae was considering Taemin as a boyfriend and thinking about taking advantage of the situation. That absolutely couldn’t happen. At Idam’s firm statement, Heo Jitae’s eyes narrowed like a snake’s.

“This won’t do.”

He frowned deeply and turned to his henchmen who were standing like folding screens.

“Bring him.”

“Yes!”

The two men quickly left the alley. Facing Heo Jitae’s excited expression, Idam felt uneasy. What were they going to bring? It seemed a different situation from before was about to unfold. His stomach churned as if he had inhaled toxic gas.

Soon, the sound of an engine was heard, followed by bustling movements. Illuminated by the streetlight, the form gradually revealed itself. The two men who had left earlier were visible, with a familiar figure in the middle. It was Hayun.

His eyes and mouth were covered with blue tape, and his wrists were bound with rope. His arms were held by the burly men, effectively trapping him in a living prison. Idam’s heart sank to his feet.

“H-how… Did you kidnap him?”

“Of course not. He was collapsed like this in front of our office this afternoon. When I saw his face, I realized it was Haru. Wondering if there was anything to take, I searched him and found his phone. Seeing your contact info and call logs, I figured he was your friend.”

Heo Jitae added that it was like hitting the jackpot, then cackled. Facing his laughter, Idam became even more confused. There was no hint of pretense in his wrinkled face. Until now, Heo Jitae had tormented Idam in various ways. He brazenly committed illegal acts without hesitation, and there was no reason for him to hide the fact that he had kidnapped Hayun.

This meant that some third party had captured Hayun and left him at the entrance of Bareun Capital’s office. Who could it be? Who on earth… Idam swallowed hard.

“I’m desperate for money right now. Yeo Idam, let’s use your friend a bit.”

“N-no matter what, Hayun has nothing to do with this.”

“He’s your friend. How can he not be related?”

Heo Jitae looked ready to forcefully connect anything related to Idam.

“Fuck. My gambling’s gone to shit, and I’m dying here. I need money right now!”

Heo Jitae engaged in various illegal gambling activities. Idam knew he often went abroad to enjoy this. So when he was short on money, he would harass Idam. But this time, he was involving Hayun in his trashy behavior.

Idam examined Hayun from head to toe, wondering if he had been assaulted. He seemed able to walk or stand without difficulty, and there were no visible external injuries. However, since the alley’s streetlight wasn’t very bright, there might be injuries or marks that were missed.

Eventually, Heo Jitae removed the blue tape covering Hayun’s eyes. The sound of the tape separating from skin was violently loud. It seemed as if all of Hayun’s long eyelashes might be torn out.

Hayun squinted for a moment, as if even the dim streetlight seemed bright, then slowly opened his eyes. His gaze met Idam’s.

“Mmph!”

Hayun shook his head desperately. It seemed he was urging Idam not to deal with Heo Jitae. Seeing him like this made Idam’s heart sink even further.

“Aish, he’s really acting up.”

Heo Jitae grabbed Hayun’s hair as if extremely annoyed. Then he took out a knife from his pants pocket. He looked ready to stab Hayun’s neck at any moment. Alarmed, Idam grabbed Heo Jitae’s wrist holding the knife with both hands.

“S-stop it…”

“Let go!”

Heo Jitae swung the knife. The sharp blade scraped Idam’s hand.