Underpainting

The eldest uncle reluctantly agreed to Taehan’s persuasion. Dawon was taken to Taehan’s car and driven to a private clinic operated by Taehan’s ‘company’ for treatment. Throughout the process, Dawon neither offered any opinions nor asked any questions.Even after getting into Taehan’s car, Dawon remained silent, gazing out the window. The route home required a right turn at the first intersection after leaving the auction house, but Taehan’s car turned left.Dawon stared intently at the unfamiliar streets, signs, and buildings for quite some time. Taehan clicked his tongue, seemingly exasperated by Dawon’s focused gaze.The car stopped in front of an old building in the city. It didn’t look like a normal hospital, but when they went up to the second-floor office, a surprisingly competent doctor greeted Taehan.“Long time no see, Mr. Ryu. And this is… your companion?”“Please take a look at his right arm. You don’t need to know who he is.”The doctor removed Dawon’s coat and rolled up his sleeve without further questions. He examined the swollen areas and confirmed the painful spots, momentarily taken aback by the emaciated arm but quickly regaining his composure.He placed Dawon’s arm on a large machine and took X-rays. Then, hesitating slightly, he cautiously asked Taehan,“Excuse me, what about his leg…?”“That’s not necessary.”Dawon was indifferent to the state of his leg, but Taehan’s abrupt response was somewhat embarrassing. The doctor looked flustered as he continued,“I see. Still, I’ll examine his overall condition. I’ll need to use the stethoscope…”The doctor held up the stethoscope towards Dawon, who hesitated, not understanding its purpose. Only after being told to lift his shirt did he comply.Seeing Dawon’s exposed body, the doctor’s expression turned grave. Dawon’s chest was gaunt, with ribs protruding and covered in scars and bruises. The doctor looked shocked and turned to Taehan, who also furrowed his brow.Seeing their astonished expressions, Dawon thought calmly that being beaten regularly wasn’t a common experience.“Do you have any discomfort… anywhere else besides your right arm?”Dawon shook his head. Most of the marks were old, and even the most recent bruises weren’t too painful.Nevertheless, the doctor carefully drew Dawon’s blood and took X-rays of his injured right arm, handling him as if he were a fragile leaf. Taehan’s eyes, watching Dawon’s exposed skin, remained grimaced throughout.“The detailed results will come after the blood test, but even at a glance, your nutritional status doesn’t look good. Fortunately, the fracture isn’t severe. It’s just a hairline fracture, so if you wear a brace for 2-3 weeks…”“Make it 8 weeks.”Taehan, who had been watching the examination with a furrowed brow, suddenly interrupted.“What?”“The fracture is near the wrist, so it needs to be stabilized for two months to prevent permanent damage to the hand. After the examination, come with me. You’ll explain to his guardian exactly what I just said.”It was an odd request, but the doctor nodded without question, indicating Taehan’s commands held significant weight within the ‘company.’Even on the way back, Dawon remained silent like a doll. However, as Taehan’s car approached the intersection near the auction house, Dawon turned to Taehan with wide eyes.“This is the wrong way. Where are we going?”To get home, they should have gone straight at the intersection. Although it was an unfamiliar route, Dawon’s memory was clear. Gwangwoo and the doctor seemed surprised by Dawon’s informal speech, but Taehan responded curtly.“You can talk.”“Huh?”“I thought your voice might be damaged too.”Come to think of it, Dawon hadn’t spoken a word all day. Not speaking unless necessary was a rule when going out, so it wasn’t unusual.Without needing Taehan’s explanation, the car soon arrived back at the auction house. Taehan briefly left the car and entered the building. The doctor, sitting in the passenger seat, tentatively asked Dawon,“Excuse me, how old are you?”Dawon wasn’t sure if he should answer. As he stared blankly at the doctor, the doctor hesitated before asking again,“Are you… an adult?”Not wanting to be mistaken for a child, Dawon nodded slightly. The doctor seemed to have more to say but hesitated. Just then, Taehan returned to the car.From there, the route was familiar to Dawon—the way home. However, the destination was different. Dawon was taken not to his own house but to Taehan’s neighboring residence.“Oh, Dawon, what happened to your arm!”As they entered the living room, the eldest uncle, who had been waiting for the examination to finish, approached dramatically. Seeing Dawon’s arm in a brace, he became even more agitated after hearing the doctor’s explanation.“Eight weeks without using his hand? That’s quite inconvenient…”If Dawon couldn’t paint for an extended period, it would significantly disrupt their schedule. Moreover, the eldest uncle’s clients, especially the biggest ones, were demanding more paintings. The uncle struggled to hide his dismay. Taehan calmly asked him,“The doctor recommended hospitalization, but since you find hospitals inconvenient, I brought him here for now. Should we notify your family?”“Family?”“Your nephew. He’s injured.”“Oh, haha… This kid doesn’t have any family. I took him in and raised him.”The eldest uncle awkwardly smiled and patted Dawon’s shoulder. A cold and intense gleam flashed in Taehan’s eyes, unnoticed by the uncle. It was a look of contempt. However, the next moment, Taehan changed his expression and smiled as if nothing had happened.“I see. That’s quite commendable of you.”Taehan suggested that Dawon stay at his place until his arm fully healed. He explained that stability was crucial, and having someone to take care of him and medical staff nearby would be more convenient.Dawon would be unable to paint for a while and would only be consuming food. The eldest uncle, who had no intention of caring for a patient, reluctantly accepted the offer.Once again, Dawon did not express any opinion about his future. He silently surveyed Taehan’s house.The large living room was adjacent to the kitchen and a staircase. The biggest room was Taehan’s bedroom, where he had called Omega. The remaining rooms were clustered around a small hallway. Three of Taehan’s men stood in the hallway, glancing at Dawon and whispering among themselves.‘What are they talking about?’ Dawon wondered, but he didn’t care about their dismissive gazes. His mind was focused on one thing: ‘Why did Taehan bring me here?’He wondered about Taehan’s motives and whether his friendly behavior toward the eldest uncle and bringing Dawon here were related. He doubted Taehan would fulfill any requests he might have.Meanwhile, the eldest uncle and Taehan finished their conversation. The uncle, looking troubled, forced a smile and said,“Alright, Dawon. Don’t cause any trouble. Trust Mr. Ryu and behave. Okay?”Dawon realized that he could never trust Taehan, despite the uncle’s empty words. As Dawon looked down, Taehan suddenly placed his hand on Dawon’s shoulder. His long, firm fingers gripped the spot where the uncle had patted earlier.“Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of him.”Taehan’s words, cloaked in kindness, felt eerie to Dawon.“Ugh, ah…”Dawon woke up late in the morning with a groan. The unfamiliar ceiling made his heart race. As he wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, he saw the bandage on his right arm. It had been five days since he started living at Taehan’s house, but Dawon still wasn’t used to the situation.‘March… 10th.’Dawon habitually recalled the date and washed his face with his left hand. Although he had slept in, his dreams were troubled, leaving him still tired.Since coming here, Dawon often dreamed of Taehan stabbing the eldest uncle. In the dream, after burying the uncle’s blood-soaked body under a tree, Taehan would turn to look at Dawon, his eyes filled with darkness, ready to consume him. Dawon would wake up in a cold sweat.‘This is the third time I’ve had this dream.’He felt uneasy but tried to brush it off. Dawon was used to starting his day with a sense of discomfort. He washed up in the bathroom and changed into new clothes from the closet, all either white or black.On the first day, when the eldest uncle brought Dawon’s belongings, Taehan frowned and ordered Gwangwoo to dispose of them.“Throw these away. Prepare something decent for him to wear. Clothes and other items too.”Gwangwoo, Taehan’s secretary, had a rough appearance with a large scar on his cheekbone, but he was always respectful toward Taehan.“Have the guys clean out an empty room on the second floor.”However, even Gwangwoo hesitated at Taehan’s next order.“Sir, since he has difficulty walking, wouldn’t it be better to put him on the first floor? We can clear out one of the guys’ rooms…”“Second floor.”Taehan cut him off and gave Dawon a simple order.“Stay in your room until called.”Three days passed. Initially, Dawon spent the day sleeping, but he soon stabilized. He wasn’t in pain, and although he had nightmares, he could sleep and eat well.In fact, he was eating too well. The meals served were more than Dawon was used to, having previously eaten just enough to stave off hunger. After leaving half his first meal uneaten, a disgruntled member of Taehan’s organization complained while collecting the dishes.“Eat everything. I’m too old to be checking on a kid’s tray.”It seemed Taehan had instructed his men to ensure Dawon ate well.The feeling of fullness was as uncomfortable as hunger. Sitting uncomfortably, Dawon remembered a fairy tale from his childhood about a witch fattening up a child before eating him. He couldn’t recall the ending but doubted the witch killed the mother.‘I’m bored.’Dawon thought as he ate the breakfast delivered to his room. With nothing to do but eat, time passed slowly.Taehan, who had brought Dawon here, had been busy and often went out alone or with Gwangwoo. Dawon rarely saw him, except when the doctor came to check on his arm. Even then, Taehan silently observed and left when the doctor did.It was strange that Dawon saw less of Taehan now that he was living in his house. He didn’t particularly miss Taehan but felt his entire routine had been disrupted. Until now, Dawon’s life had revolved around painting and observing Taehan.‘He probably won’t come back until late tonight.’Late at night, Dawon could hear slight noises from Taehan’s room next door. He had always known which room was Taehan’s, having often gazed at this house from his own room across the street.Dawon looked out the window at the old house across the street. Even in the bright sunlight, the house seemed shrouded in an eerie stillness. The view from his small room had always seemed like a painting to him. When he moved here, it felt like stepping into that painting, but now he realized he had been living in a painting all along and was finally stepping out into the real world.‘Painting…’The word reminded Dawon of his bandaged right hand. It had been five days since he last painted.He thought he would feel relieved not having to paint anymore, but instead, he felt a strange emptiness. The situation was too unfamiliar to feel anything clearly. He tried to reassure himself, but the anxiety lingered.Dawon went to the hallway to return his tray and opened the refrigerator. He wasn’t hungry but noticed a bottle of soda and some ice were missing, signs that Taehan had been there.‘Did he drink?’ Dawon wondered.Even living in the same house, he still felt like a stalker, observing Taehan’s every move. Lost in thought, he heard Taehan’s men chatting loudly downstairs.“This little shit keeps dealing shitty cards.”“Why are you blaming the cards when you’re the one playing poker like shit?”While Taehan was away, his men, with nothing better to do, smoked, chatted, and played cards to pass the time. Despite the rough language, the atmosphere was friendly. Bored, Dawon often stood in the hallway, listening to their conversations.After receiving their cards and several rounds of betting, the one they called “Rookie” seemed to have lost a lot of money. Cursing loudly, he headed upstairs, causing Dawon to hurriedly try to retreat into his room.“Hey, you little shit. You should greet people when you see them.”However, Dawon couldn’t move fast enough because the tray he had put down was caught on the door. He awkwardly bowed his head in greeting as the Rookie approached.“Fuck, that’s what you call a greeting…? Perfect timing. Take this downstairs. You should clean up your own mess, right?”The Rookie gestured for Dawon to follow him downstairs. Dawon frowned as he watched the Rookie walk away.Dawon understood Taehan’s order to avoid interacting with others in the house as much as possible. He thought the arrangement of having him stay on the second floor and eat in his room was meant to minimize contact with the others.‘He wants me to come downstairs? Doesn’t he know what his boss wants?’The Rookie was known among the other members as useless except for being an Alpha. Although it seemed like a foolish suggestion, Dawon hesitated before deciding to go downstairs. Taehan wouldn’t be back for a while, and he had nothing else to do.Carrying the tray with one arm and limping down the stairs was challenging. By the time Dawon reached the first floor, the other members were loudly jeering at him.“Look who’s here. Fancy seeing you down here.”“You’ve put on some weight in just a few days. You were all skin and bones when you first arrived.”Ignoring their comments, Dawon went to the kitchen, where dishes were piled up on the table, unwashed for at least a day. The Rookie handed Dawon a plastic bag to cover his bandaged hand and ordered him to clean up.“Do it right. Don’t slack off just because you’re in a cast. Wipe the dishes and put them in the dishwasher. You can do it with one arm and one leg, right?”The Rookie laughed exaggeratedly, looking at the others in the living room, who joined in the laughter.“Take it easy, Rookie. The boss likes this one. Look at that face, it’s not bad.”“But boss, if he brought him here to live with him, why is he keeping him locked up in his room?”“Exactly. Mr. Ryu has his pride. Why would he bring a Beta like that here, unless…”The Rookie turned to look at Dawon, who was calmly cleaning the dishes as if he hadn’t heard a thing. Frustrated, the Rookie muttered a curse and left the kitchen.Dawon wasn’t being defiant; he had heard such comments so often since his leg injury that they no longer bothered him. He slowly gathered the food waste and wiped the dishes with a kitchen towel, deliberately moving slowly to eavesdrop on the conversation in the living room.From the second floor, he could hear their voices more clearly. He listened to how they received their cards, how they bet, their reactions to good or bad hands, how they got angry, and how they bluffed.“Damn it. These cards are shit.”Just as Dawon came downstairs, the Rookie seemed to be on a losing streak again. He threw his cards on the table in frustration and approached Dawon in the kitchen.“Why are the dishes still here? You must be bad luck. Because of you, I’m losing.”The Rookie raised his hand as if to hit Dawon but hesitated before snatching the dish Dawon was holding. A mischievous grin spread across his face as he had a better idea.“Never mind. How about this…? You look bored. Want to join us?”It was an even more foolish suggestion than asking him to do the dishes, but Dawon was bored, and Taehan wouldn’t be back for a while.“Do you know how to play poker? If not, you can learn.”“I know the basics.”Dawon hesitated before speaking. He knew a little about poker from observing his uncles, who often gambled. The youngest uncle had tried to teach the second uncle how to play, but he never grasped the rules. Dawon, however, remembered the basics from listening to their conversations.“This crazy bastard… He speaks?”The Rookie was more surprised that Dawon spoke informally than by his knowledge of poker. One of the other members muttered in disbelief,“He even talks back to the boss like that.”“What? He talks informally to the boss? So that means…”The Rookie looked at Dawon with a mix of confusion and amusement, intrigued by the possibility of a peculiar relationship between Dawon and Taehan.“Anyway, come over here. If you know the basics, you know enough. Guys, can he join us?”“How can he play if he has no money?”“I can lend him some.”“You’re lending money to a guy who has none? How’s he gonna pay you back?”“Well, if he can’t pay with money, he can pay with his body…”The other members laughed and made crude jokes, suggesting Dawon could repay the debt in other ways. Dawon ignored their comments and looked around, taking in the scattered cards, cash, and beer cans. He sat down, mentally recording the scene.“Here, I’m lending you 200.”Dawon quickly counted the cash the Rookie tossed in front of him and frowned.“This isn’t 200.”“You don’t know how this works. You gotta pay interest.”Dawon remembered the youngest uncle mentioning he had borrowed money at a gambling table and ended up in deep trouble. He didn’t care about the risks; if he was worried about losing money, he wouldn’t have sat down to play.Dawon watched a couple of rounds without playing, then joined in. He lost the first three hands.“This guy is hilarious. He’s gonna die playing like that.”The oldest member, known as “Hammer,” won a big hand and was in a good mood. He laughed and joked with Dawon, who sat quietly, ready to make his move. He had seen enough and was ready to act.“I’ll raise.”When it was Dawon’s turn to bet, he immediately raised the stakes. The others laughed and followed suit at first, but as Dawon continued to raise with each card, they began to fold one by one.It was the sixth round of dealing cards. Dawon had 5, 6, and J as open cards, and a 7 of clubs was dealt to him. As soon as he saw the new card, Dawon called the highest possible bet.“All in.”“Damn it… You’re crazy. Fine, take it all.”The only one who had stayed in the game, Hammer, threw his cards down with a scowl. Dawon deliberately revealed his cards and swept the cash from the table. The Rookie leaned in to check Dawon’s hand and was shocked.“What the hell? He bet like that with this shitty hand?”“Isn’t that a straight?”“This idiot went all in with a pair of twos, boss.”Dawon’s cards were the 2 of spades, the 2 of hearts, and a king. The other members had expected a straight with 5, 6, 7, and were astonished by Dawon’s bluff. Dawon played along, feigning innocence.“Here, look. It’s a pair. Isn’t that good?”The discarded cards were at least better than a pair of twos, and Hammer’s face turned red with anger. He tended to follow big bets after winning but hesitated when opponents bet aggressively.“You’re not supposed to play poker like that… Damn…”“This guy is really something else.”Everyone laughed, not suspecting that Dawon’s bluff was intentional. Dawon enjoyed their carelessness, and as he predicted, their expressions grew tense as the game continued.“Damn it, it’s like we’re possessed or something…”After an hour, Dawon had a large pile of cash in front of him. Though his hands were clumsy with the cast, he discarded bad cards quickly and called bluffs accurately.After another big win, Dawon counted out 40 fifty-thousand-won bills and handed them to the Rookie.“Here, I’m paying you back.”Everyone was astonished, especially the Rookie, who was furious. With trembling hands, he took the money and then suddenly coughed, spilling beer everywhere.“Ugh, cough, cough, cough.”“Damn it, what’s wrong with this guy?”“I’m sorry, boss. Damn, it’s all wet now.”As Dawon pulled his bills away from the spilled beer, the Rookie cleaned up the wet cards and brought out a new deck. That’s when things started to get strange.In the next round, Dawon received three cards of the same number among his first four cards—a triple. It was a strong hand, but he only placed the minimum bet. The Rookie folded immediately.“I’m out.”Something was off. The Rookie had never folded on the first bet before. Not only did he fold, but he also signaled the others to stop betting when Dawon completed a full house on the sixth card.Hammer, who had been eager to bet, also folded, preventing Dawon from winning as much as he could have.‘This is suspicious.’The Rookie continued to act strangely. He stopped bluffing with bad hands and only bet when he had a strong hand. Sometimes, he even pushed all-in with only a slightly better hand.Whenever Dawon had a good hand, the Rookie would fold, ruining the momentum and leading to several drawn-out rounds.‘Is he looking at the cards? How?’Dawon observed the table closely, examining the cards, the Rookie’s hands, and his glances. The backs of the cards had intricate patterns that seemed identical, but upon closer inspection, Dawon noticed subtle differences. He studied the patterns until he discovered a consistent rule.“Finally, I’m getting some good cards.”The Rookie won a round with a high hand and gleefully raked in the cash. As he dealt the next round, he hesitated when giving Dawon his cards. Dawon noticed the Rookie’s expression was the same as when he had folded with a triple.Dawon checked his cards and found he had four clubs. He realized something was amiss but didn’t show it. He calmly chose one card to open and followed the previous player’s bet. The Rookie was next to bet.“Hmm, then I…”“You’re folding, right?”Dawon interrupted him, and the Rookie looked flustered but tried to maintain his composure.“How dare you interrupt me? Who cares if others fold?”“These cards are weird. The patterns on the back are different.”“Why are you picking on perfectly good cards…?”“This is a spade 9.”Dawon flipped over the Rookie’s discarded card, revealing a spade 9. The next cards were a diamond 7, a heart 3, and a queen, just as Dawon had read them. The other members looked angry as they realized the cards were marked.It was Dawon’s first time playing poker, but he knew that using marked cards was not right. The Rookie, caught off guard, grabbed Dawon by the collar.“You little shit, how dare you accuse me…? You think you can fool me?”As the Rookie shook him, Dawon’s frail body swayed. Having grown up being beaten, Dawon knew he was about to be hit. He wondered whether to shout and fight back or to stay quiet and take the beating.“What’s going on here?”The front door opened, and Taehan’s cold voice filled the room. He had returned home.Turning around, Dawon saw Taehan striding into the living room, followed by a pale-faced Gwangwoo. The other members, who had been making a ruckus, froze in fear. They usually cleaned up their mess and stayed quiet when Taehan returned.The living room was a disaster, with beer cans, spilled beer, and snack crumbs everywhere. Taehan would not be pleased.“Boss, you’re back.”The others hurriedly cleaned up the table while the Rookie finally let go of Dawon’s collar. Dawon, unable to keep his balance, fell back into his seat. Taehan ignored his men’s greetings and demanded an explanation from Dawon.“Why are you sitting there like that?”Taehan’s eyebrows were furrowed in disgust. Dawon avoided his gaze and replied,“They told me to clean up my own dishes.”Taehan’s question seemed to imply, ‘Why didn’t you stay in your room as I told you?’ Although Dawon had deliberately avoided answering directly, Taehan silently scanned the table without saying a word.“Rookie.”At Taehan’s quiet call, the Rookie, who had been gathering the cards, flinched. He hurriedly stuffed the cards into his pocket with trembling hands.“I-I’ll clean this up right away.”“Why is everyone pretending not to understand me today? Have you all gone deaf in the few days I’ve been away? Or have you forgotten your place?”Taehan gestured again. The Rookie, looking like an animal being led to slaughter, handed the cards he was holding to Taehan.Taehan took a small flashlight-like device from his back pocket and shone it on the back of the card the Rookie had handed him. Although the card appeared black under normal light, it glowed blue under the flashlight. Taehan smirked in disbelief.“Today, a customer at the casino used something like this.”The Rookie’s face paled at Taehan’s words. Taehan held the card between two fingers and tapped the back of the Rookie’s hand with it, smiling coldly.“Aren’t you curious what happened to that customer’s hand?”The Rookie wasn’t the only one terrified; all the other members, including Gwangwoo, who hadn’t participated in the poker game, were frozen in fear. Taehan’s gaze, which had been fixed on the Rookie, turned to Dawon, the only one who remained calm.“Go upstairs.”Dawon nodded and stood up. As he gathered the money from the table, the Rookie watched in disbelief, his face a mix of fear and astonishment.Dawon limped to the stairs and heard a familiar, dull thud behind him—the sound of someone being kicked.“Ugh!”“If Gwangwoo isn’t around, I’ll have to discipline you myself. You can’t even tell shit from piss, and you’re sitting around playing cards with these idiots?”“Boss, I’m sorry. Ugh…!”Surprisingly, it wasn’t the Rookie being kicked, but Hammer. Dawon was slightly puzzled but didn’t look back.The eldest uncle used to do the same thing. When he wanted to torment Dawon but didn’t have enough time, he would beat the youngest uncle instead, ensuring Dawon would suffer later.As Dawon reached his room on the second floor, he stuffed the wad of bills into his coat pocket and zipped it shut.‘Poker… It was strange. Was it fun?’His heart raced. It wasn’t just about winning money; it was the thrill of experiencing something new. Although it was just a game with thugs, holding cards with hands that had only ever held brushes and pens felt exhilarating.As Dawon relived the moment, the door burst open. Taehan stood there, the commotion downstairs having ended. He approached Dawon silently, just as he had when he entered the living room earlier.“How did you know those were marked cards?”Dawon had expected a scolding for leaving the room, but instead, Taehan asked a puzzling question.“Marked cards?”“You don’t know? You read the cards without knowing what they were?”Dawon repeated the unfamiliar term, and Taehan’s eyes darkened with interest. His black eyes, devoid of any warmth, held a strange fascination. Dawon’s voice grew softer, sensing he might have annoyed Taehan.“The backs were different.”“Tell me honestly. Could you see it with your eyes?”“If you keep looking, you can see it. The Rookie was betting strangely, so I kept watching… and watching.”“Ha.”Taehan’s brief exhale was inscrutable. For a moment, a hint of a smile flickered across his face, but it quickly vanished, replaced by his usual impassive expression.“Why did you join the game?”Dawon wondered if he should apologize but decided it would be pointless in the face of Taehan’s cold demeanor.“I was bored.”“What?”“I was cooped up in the room with nothing to do.”“I never said you couldn’t leave the room.”‘Liar,’ Dawon almost retorted but held his tongue. Taehan suddenly grabbed Dawon’s arm, his long, strong fingers gripping just above the cast.Although he didn’t squeeze hard, Dawon tensed up. Taehan examined Dawon’s arm, noting that he had gained some weight despite still being thin.“Looks like you’ve been eating properly.”His tone wasn’t one of concern but rather a statement of fact. Dawon recalled the fairy tale of the witch fattening up a child, checking his fingers every morning.Dawon wanted to ask Taehan if he knew the story’s ending or why he had brought him here. But he knew better than to reveal his thoughts. This was like a game of poker; he shouldn’t show his hand or let his intentions be read. Dawon asked the one question he could.“Why did you buy that painting?”Taehan had purchased a large Baroque-style painting from the eldest uncle, knowing full well it was a fake. He wouldn’t have done so without a reason.Instead of answering directly, Taehan lightly traced the edge of Dawon’s cast with his fingertips, sending a shiver down Dawon’s spine.“It has its uses.”Taehan’s cryptic response left Dawon wondering what possible use the painting could have. Perhaps the answer wasn’t just about the painting but also about Dawon’s presence in the house.Taehan’s gaze held a mix of intensity and something more profound, almost predatory. Dawon’s heart raced as he caught a faint, familiar scent—a mix of cologne and something uniquely Taehan.The scent seemed to permeate the room, affecting Dawon deeply. He couldn’t speak, his breath hitching as Taehan finally released his arm and turned to leave.“Don’t come downstairs unless I call for you.”With that, Taehan left the room, leaving Dawon alone with the lingering sensation of his touch.The day after Taehan left home early again, only a cold atmosphere lingered within the house. No sounds of chatter were heard, and whoever brought Dawon’s meals just placed the tray in front of the door and quickly disappeared.Dawon’s eyes sparkled as he brought the tray into the room. Beside the well-prepared rice and side dishes, a few small chocolates were placed. Meals here usually included fruit or small, pretty pastries. Dawon especially felt good on days when chocolates were given.Dawon vividly remembers the first moment he tasted chocolate. In a small room in the red-light district, his mother had given him a sweet, intense taste, saying she had received it from a customer. Dawon, who didn’t exactly know what his mother was selling to customers, secretly waited, hoping that customer would come again.After that, after leaving the red-light district and moving to the two-story house across the street, there were hardly any opportunities to see things like chocolate.‘The uncles didn’t even give me proper meals, so there’s no way they would let me eat something like this.’Dawon, keeping his eyes fixed on the chocolates throughout his meal, immediately unwrapped all the round chocolate wrappers and shoved them into his mouth as soon as he finished eating. The sweet, slightly bitter taste made his mind feel clear.‘What good is eating well if I have nothing to do?’Perhaps because he had gone outside and experienced various things yesterday, today, a day as quiet as usual, felt unusually more boring. As he was putting the finished meal tray outside the room, Dawon suddenly stared blankly down the 2nd-floor hallway.Usually, he would only go as far as the bathroom right next to his room and hurriedly return, but today he felt like he could be brave. Taehan had said ‘it’s okay to go outside the room,’ after all.Taking a few steps with bravado, Dawon stared at Taehan’s door right next to his room for a long time, then soon turned his head away. Taehan’s words, ‘it’s okay to go outside the room,’ probably didn’t mean it was okay to peek into his room.‘But is there anything else on the 2nd floor besides this room?’The irregular traces of footsteps continued further down the hallway. Walking almost to the end of the hallway, Dawon discovered a small door in the corner. It was a room that Kwangwoo hadn’t even mentioned when he gave him the house tour.Dawon tensed up, becoming wary, and inhaled. Only a musty, dusty smell wafted out; no human scent was detected. Dawon mustered his courage and opened the door.‘This is……’In the small, windowless room, old junk was piled up. Stained furniture and carpets, discarded clothes. Seeing several wooden sticks wrapped with duct tape and baseball bats, it seemed to be a storage room for gang members’ belongings.Dawon slowly looked around the storage room. Among the uninteresting items, a bundle of books piled up shallowly caught his eye. There were a few racy novels and magazines, and underneath them was a new, crisp, and large book.High school equivalency exam prep book. It was a phrase he was seeing for the first time, but Dawon, who was quick to understand, guessed that it was a book related to going to school.‘School’ was a word that had no connection to Dawon. Dawon had lived in this two-story house since he was seven. However, Jaewook hyung, who used to draw pictures with Dawon in this place until a few years ago, had said that he had attended elementary school for about two years before being discovered by the uncles and coming to this house.<Ah, it’s a terrible place, school. The teachers are scary, and, and the kids are mean… I even hate drawing, but coming here, ah, not going to school is the only good thing.>He shuddered, but Dawon had always been curious about this ‘school’ that he occasionally talked about. The fact that there were many children his age, that they went every day with schoolbags and sat in rows at desks, and even that they taught useless knowledge, all sounded fascinating.‘…I don’t need school anyway. I’m an adult now.’Dawon stubbornly thought, pushing the high school equivalency exam prep book aside. What was under the prep book was a rather thick Korean dictionary. There was a dictionary of art terms in Dawon’s studio, but it was the first time he had seen a regular dictionary.On the thin, white paper, countless words and their meanings were written. It felt like he could learn all the stories of the world he hadn’t yet learned by reading it. After taking the dictionary, a spring-bound notebook caught his eye.When he opened the part where the middle was split, a blank page with a pencil inserted appeared. The moment Dawon saw the white paper with thin horizontal lines printed at regular intervals, a tingling sensation, like electricity, ran through his right hand.‘I don’t need that either. I’m not going to draw anything like that here.’Even as he pouted to himself, Dawon lingered in that spot for quite a while, for some reason. He stumbled a few times, taking unsteady steps, and eventually took the notebook and returned to his room.Even after returning to his room, Dawon fidgeted, pushing it deep into a drawer as if to distance himself from something undesirable. And he thought, as if making a resolution.‘I just brought it in case I might need it. I’m not going to draw.’There was no need to make a fuss about it. Dawon couldn’t draw anything anyway without the originals.In this house, the only things that resembled paintings were the front and back of playing cards, but after Taehan caught them gambling, the gang members hadn’t played poker even once. Not only poker, but even the voices that occasionally drifted up from the first floor, even chattering, had completely stopped.If he hadn’t brought the dictionary, Dawon would have spent even more boring time. Dawon spent a full two days poring over the dictionary. He was busy looking up all the words he had heard during his life but never knew the exact meaning of.‘The word “marked deck” isn’t in the dictionary.’Recalling memories from distant past to recent past, Dawon, who had checked the meaning of countless words, finally reached the moment he faced Taehan two days ago. As he retraced the events of that day, wondering if there were any words he had missed, Dawon recalled the moment Taehan’s hand had touched his arm.It wasn’t bruised, nor scarred, but Dawon could pinpoint exactly the place he had touched. A tingling sensation still remained there.‘It wasn’t like he touched anywhere special, so why did I feel so strange? And that fragrance, too……’Whether it was his imagination or not, it felt like that unknown fragrance was lingering again at the tip of Dawon’s nose. As he was deeply engrossed in thinking about what that smell was, the door suddenly burst open.“Come downstairs.”The youngest man, with a sullen voice, was calling for Dawon. Instead of getting up right away, Dawon retorted back with a voice just as sullen.“No. He told me not to go down to the first floor unless he calls me.”“Ha, this bastard, seriously… The Director called you, so come down without arguing.”‘Director’ was a word referring to Taehan. Dawon, who had been sitting blankly, got up from his seat without complaint at those words. The youngest man grumbled, ‘What kind of bastard is this?’ and led the way down the stairs.As if to prove that the youngest man wasn’t lying, Taehan’s voice was heard from the first floor. Taehan was in the middle of the living room, instructing Kwangwoo about something, and the other gang members were struggling with a large painting leaning against the living room wall.It was the painting Taehan had bought from Uncle. The painting was as large as a person’s height, but its craftsmanship was crude compared to Dawon’s other paintings. It was originally a piece hastily made to order, sold by Uncle who was known to sell forgeries to people who knew the fact.‘Huh…?’The moment Dawon approached the painting, his eyes flickered in surprise. The canvas, which had been tightly fixed to the frame, was very slightly loosened. Sweeping his gaze over the painting, thinking that someone had touched it, Dawon’s eyes stopped fixedly at one spot.“With this size, it should fit in a 9-seater car, right? We can just load it onto the car and go.”“Like this? They say it’s damn expensive, what if it gets damaged? Shouldn’t we wrap it up in something like newspaper or something before loading it?”“Covering it with newspaper would damage it more. What is that, paint? Wouldn’t that all get pressed down?”“Let’s ask him. He’s a painter, so he’ll know. Hey, you. Tell us how to move this thing.”Whether they were planning to move the painting to another place, the gang members were arguing and debating among themselves. He heard someone speaking to him, but Dawon did not answer.