“Argh.”
Why does the call have to come at this moment? Did someone see him leaving the studio apartment? Do-hwa huddled even closer. He hoped Min-jun didn’t know about the situation involving Koo Jong-pil and Jio.
They weren’t close enough to share household matters, and the other party was a ruthless loan shark who could harm Min-jun. No, the opposite might happen… Either way, he needed to explain why he was leaving at this hour, but nothing came to mind. Meanwhile, the call ended.
But it started ringing again. So he ignored it, but it kept ringing. He had unfortunately set it to vibrate, so it buzzed relentlessly, distracting him. He tried to switch it to silent mode, but oddly, the touch screen wasn’t responding well.
“Can’t you just answer the phone, bachelor?”
The man wearing sunglasses at night awkwardly requested.
“Yes…”
Do-hwa felt compelled to surrender, fearing the consequences of ignoring the call.
“Hello…”
[Why haven’t you been answering? I was worried.]
“Uh… well…”
[Where are you right now? Did you take a taxi?]
Min-jun spoke sharply, as if he had been watching from somewhere. Do-hwa glanced around. Outside the car window, colorful neon signs passed by, indicating shops.
“I just went out for a moment. Um… my mother wanted to see me.”
Do-hwa hastily filled the silence with a flimsy response, failing to come up with an excuse.
[…]
Min-jun fell silent for a moment. The weight of the quietness grew, and Do-hwa’s heart sank further. If only Min-jun were more affectionate, he wouldn’t be so tense. But Min-jun was unpredictable, and that scared him.
[Seonbae, could you look back?]
“Huh?”
Why was he suddenly asked to look back? Could it be…? Do-hwa nervously turned his head.
He saw cars following the taxi through the window. But they were just ordinary sedans, with only the occasional tourist bus. None of Min-jun’s flashy cars were in sight. However, with the darkness of the evening and the possibility that Min-jun might be driving a car Do-hwa didn’t know about, he couldn’t be sure.
[Seonbae, did I startle you?]
Min-jun’s voice, mixed with laughter, came from the phone he held in his hand. Do-hwa felt relieved, who had been tense. But his annoyance was evident as his forehead furrowed involuntarily.
“Why did you ask me to look back?”
[I’m just joking.]
In the midst of urgent seconds, not even a fake laugh came out, only discomfort.
[Have a good time with your mother. I have something to take care of, so I’ll see you later.]
He hung up the phone.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Do-hwa felt an inexplicable fear. His words about seeing each other later didn’t mean ‘take care’ but rather ‘let’s meet at the agreed place.’ It felt like Min-jun knew everything about him…
“Fut… Ktja mjc’a yf…”
Gb-tkj rtbbx tlr tfjv egufcais. Ktf ojwlis’r rageuuifr klat ibjc rtjgxr kfgf cfnfg rqbxfc bo ab jcsbcf. Snfc tlr oglfcv Off Altbbc bcis xcfk atja tlr wbatfg tjv gfwjgglfv. Vb atfgf kjr cb kjs Zlc-pec mbeiv xcbk.
Dea atbeutar bo atf uec Zlc-pec tjv ja atf tbafi, atf vloofgfca-ojmfv Jtj Zlc-pec’r PG, jcv jcbatfg obgflucfg wjvf tlw atlcx atja wjsyf rbwfbcf kjr lcnfralujalcu tlr rlaejalbc. Lbkfnfg, atlr rerqlmlbc kjr delmxis bnfgaegcfv. Ktfgf kjr cb gfjrbc obg Zlc-pec ab vlu lcab tlr qjra. Dea atfc jujlc, tf kjrc’a lc tlr gluta wlcv, kjr tf?
Do-hwa, who had been speculating on Min-jun’s thoughts, snapped out of it. It wasn’t time for that now. Jio, who had been dragged away by Koo Jong-pil, was the priority.
The taxi gradually headed towards a secluded area. The factory they had been aiming for came into view.
In front of it stood big men in black suits. At first glance, they seemed to number over thirty. After sensing something unusual, the taxi driver glanced at Do-hwa through the rearview mirror. But he didn’t ask anything. He seemed to worry about getting involved and suffering consequences.
“Thank you. Here’s the charge.”
Do-hwa took out his card, paid, and got out of the taxi.
Dark scenery and dusty air greeted Do-hwa. There were streetlights, but they weren’t very bright.
Among the group of men standing stiffly, one approached Do-hwa. He had a hairstyle reminiscent of a crew cut. Do-hwa couldn’t help but think of gangsters he had seen in dramas or movies, feeling stiff with fear.
“Are you Do-hwa-ssi?”
“Yes…”
“Come this way.”
The man stepped forward and gestured for Do-hwa to follow. Do-hwa swallowed nervously and entered the factory. A maze-like corridor stretched before him. His body felt even more tense. He soon spotted a fortress-like door. The man grabbed the handle and opened it. With a creaking sound as the worn-out hinges met, the heavy air inside the room enveloped him. Boxes were stacked like mountains, emitting a foul odor that stung his nose.
“Hah… hah…”
He heard someone panting. But it wasn’t just one person; it sounded like there were at least two or more. Despite his confusion about Jio being the only one kidnapped, Do-hwa couldn’t stop walking.
As he passed the boxes, he entered a spacious area easily exceeding 100 square meters. Men in black suits stood like a fence around the perimeter. Among them, a man with a scar on his forehead stood out.
“Our youngest lad is here.”
Judging from the accent and voice, it was undoubtedly Koo Jong-pil, whom Do-hwa had spoken with earlier.
On the dirty floor, Jio lay sprawled, with his stepfather and mother also present. They were bound not only with hands and feet but also gagged with duct tape, crouching in submission. Koo Jong-pil had earlier said he only kidnapped Jio, so the situation was confusing. It was not the warm reunion Do-hwa had expected.
“Why… are both of you here?”
“We brought them a little while ago. They were planning to flee overseas; they were at the airport.”
After finishing his explanation, Koo Jong-pil sat in front of Do-hwa’s bound stepfather and mother.
“Do you know how much money you owe? Huh? And you tried to run away?”
He shouted, emphasizing the amount of debt. Do-hwa felt a pang of realization, facing those numbers. He knew the debt was substantial, but he hadn’t expected it to be this much. Even if Do-hwa left the factory, it would be beyond what he could repay.
“So, that’s why I called you over.”
Koo Jong-pil scanned Do-hwa from head to toe. It wasn’t just disdain for a person, but a sliminess that hinted at something else.
“I think Do-hwa here might be more appealing than his brother, don’t you?”
What could be more appealing? He couldn’t guess, but he knew it wouldn’t be something pleasant.
“He’s got the looks that the Alphas like.”
“What?”
Do-hwa’s eyes widened in fear.
“Even that expression! Haha.”
Koo Jong-pil approached with a grim chuckle, grabbing Do-hwa’s chin and tilting his head this way and that, observing him as if appraising an item for auction.
“Your face is flawless, with sharp double eyelids and a well-defined nose. You must be quite popular.”
Koo Jong-pil’s touch gradually became sticky as he rubbed Do-hwa’s cheeks. Do-hwa stepped back, feeling uncomfortable.
“Why… why are you doing this?”
“Are you an Omega?”
“What?”
Do-hwa’s breath caught in his throat. He struggled to inhale. He had forgotten in his haste that he wasn’t regulating his pheromones right now. However, the taxi driver he had ridden with earlier seemed oblivious. He fortunately appeared to be a Beta. It was only now that Do-hwa realized how reckless it was to tell Min-jun he was going to meet his mother.
“Do-hwa is a Beta.”
Jio, who had been lying down, struggled to raise his upper body and spoke. After hearing this, Koo Jong-pil smirked.
“You clearly look like an Omega to me. I’ve been married to Omegas three times. Can’t I tell?”
He was convinced as he stared intently at Do-hwa. But then he leaned closer to Do-hwa’s neck, looking puzzled.
“But why can’t I smell any pheromones? I can even tell with certainty.”
“What?”
Do-hwa had recently postponed his pheromone regulation training due to post-heat cycle fatigue. So, his pheromones would be freely flowing, yet he wasn’t aware of it… It didn’t make sense. Especially since Do-hwa himself could sense his scent at the moment.
“Damn. Did the suppressants I took today mess with my senses?”
He raised his hand to his nose, sniffing, before lowering it.
“Anyway, I’m thinking of making a proposition to you, Do-hwa.”
“What proposition?”
“I know a guy, a dominant Alpha. He’s in a rut and needs to get married. He said he needs an Omega. I thought about passing him over to your brother. But his scent was awful. So, it was a good call to bring you instead. You’re more presentable.”
“W-What are you trying to say?”
“Why are you acting dumb when you know? Is your brain not working?”
Koo Jong-pil raised his hand and slapped Do-hwa’s cheek, coincidentally hitting the spot where Jio had hit him yesterday. Do-hwa’s recovering bruise burst open again, and he felt dizzy, almost passing out.
The man who had been standing got up and grabbed Do-hwa by the collar, lifting him back up.
“You know your family’s debt; there’s no way you can repay it in a lifetime through normal means.”
“…”
“If you marry our guy, we’ll consider the debt as if it never existed. He’s a pretty decent Alpha. He owns several buildings in Gangnam. He just gets pissed off easily and tends to beat people like dogs when he’s angry, and he’s an alcoholic. But other than that, he’s fine. Haha.”
Can this even be called a marriage? It was a deal with a clear future. Do-hwa was shocked as he felt his head spinning. Even with the debt looming over him, the weight of immediately accepting such an offer was immense.
Jio’s pupils dilated. His stepfather and mother were the same. His parents eventually began to whimper through their taped mouths. They even kicked their bound feet forcefully against the ground, as if desperately trying to say something. Koo Jong-pil gestured to the man with the crew cut, and he removed the tape from Do-hwa’s mother’s mouth.
“Na Do-hwa! Accept it!”
Do-hwa’s thought process came to a halt as he tried to comprehend what he had just heard.
Do-hwa, what do you think your selfish family will do with this opportunity. Sell you off immediately without any morals.. You are like Maltilda, sold off.
Rubbish family. Can’t wait to read what that crazy Min-Jun is going to do.
👏👏👏
Ooh girl please 😬😬
Burn the family!
At this point… gladly if Min jun kills d rubbish family first b4 d loan shark!😏
I really hope Min Jun will kill them all