“You little brat, you should have done that sooner. You always have to make things difficult for people. Hey. Are you doing this just for your own benefit? You need to earn more money to raise your younger sibling, don’t you? If you’re sorry, go get a cigarette and come out.”
Yi-an walked past Hwang Young-woo, who was gesturing with his chin bowed low. He crossed the alley with quick steps and opened the door to the convenience store where he worked. As the wind chime hanging on the corner swayed and the door closed completely, he finally let out a deep sigh.
“Did I switch on the downlights…? Even if I did, I always….”
The cigarettes didn’t differ much in price, but Hwang Young-woo smoked the most expensive one among them. If he pretended not to notice and picked the cheapest one, he might get slapped again. He couldn’t do that, as he was in a position where he had to avoid offending him as much as possible. Just as Hwang Young-woo had said, if he wanted to raise Yiseo to be a decent person, even increasing his workload wouldn’t be enough, so he couldn’t afford to be picky… What on earth was he thinking when he said he wouldn’t do it?
“Hooooo…”
Beep. Yi-an went into the counter, paid for the cigarettes Hwang Young-woo was smoking with his card, and stepped outside holding the pack. The man who had been leaning against the wall of the alley he had just come out of nodded and met Yi-an’s eyes. Yi-an pursed his lips and handed the cigarettes he was holding to Hwang Young-woo.
“Then, see you in two days? Bring the goods well”
“Yes…….”
“You little brat. Cheer up.”
Hwang Young-woo lightly slapped the cheek he had just struck a couple of times with his palm. At this, Yi-an flinched and hunched his shoulders. Tsk, a man like that…
That face, with its long drooping eyelashes and sorrowful expression, often made him want to touch it. Fuck. It was an impulse that didn’t require much thought. Women are everywhere, so just because he looked somewhat decent, to a fucking asshole like him…
Hwang Young-woo muttered inaudibly and swaggered out of the alley. Yi-an, staring blankly at his receding figure, repeatedly rubbed the cheek where his hand had touched.
What item was assigned to him this time? Having always played the role of delivering goods, he would be overcome with anxiety whenever he was instructed to retrieve something. It was certainly different from the situation where he just had to leave the items he had at a designated location.
Hwang Young-woo always said he wouldn’t make him do anything dangerous, but something felt off. It was as if he were bringing something he shouldn’t have…
“No. Don’t worry. Nothing will happen.”
Yi-an had witnessed a few instances where people got scratched while running errands, but that bad luck had never struck him. It wasn’t the very first time, either… he had been there a couple of times, and nothing had happened the whole time, so this time would be no different. Yi-an muttered to himself like the wind as he returned to the convenience store. There was still plenty of time left in his shift.
***
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