Yaba walked through the garden in a huff. In one hand, the mask that had fallen off the string swayed back and forth. Even when he rubbed his lips with the back of his hand, his nausea did not go away. He almost wanted to cut off his tongue and lips. When he reached the front door, the door opened, revealing a pair of dark suit trousers and shoes. His heart skipped a beat. But it was Chairman Cha who stepped into view.
Even though he tried not to, he found himself looking forward to it. Now Cha Yiseok became not just one of the pieces of information nestled in the folds of his brain, but the brain itself. The pulse of the whole body, which is greatly affected by the brain, had been drained. Yaba forcibly moved his leg and passed Chairman Cha.
“It is because of Myunghwan that I am letting you walk in this house.”
When he looked back, Chairman Cha had his back to Yaba.
“Even if he has improved now, I don’t know when Myunghwan will get worse again. That’s how his hopes have been crushed every time. So, do your best until the last day. This is an order.”
“Why should I?”
Chairman Cha then turned his head. That facial feature is similar to that of Cha Myunghwan, but the cold-blooded animal-like eyes looked like those of Cha Yiseok. His chest tightened.
“I’m not coming because you and Cha Myunghwan asked me to. I’m coming because I want to. When I get tired of it all, that’s the day I’ll stop doing this. And he’s still alive. Don’t treat him like a dead person.”
“I see you’re still as fearless as ever. Lowly-born people spend their entire lives looking at other people, so they’re quick-witted, but looking at you, it doesn’t seem to be necessarily like that.”
“Right. Not everyone who was born lowly is quick-witted. It’s obvious looking at Cha Myunghwan?”
Chairman Cha trembled like the shaking of an active volcano. He was an ordinary father to Cha Myunghwan. If he had done the same to Cha Yiseok, would he have a different appearance than he does now? Would he not be addicted to drugs and living a life of debauchery, not fascinated by the smell of death? He wouldn’t have come to Paradiso and he would have never met him, would he? And he probably didn’t even know there was such suffering in the world…
“Your sons are the way they are all because of you. That brawny blood created the lesser humans and monsters that could do nothing on their own. I’m teaching you in case you don’t know until you die.”
Yaba turned his back on the old man and ran out of the garden.
***
By the time he left Cha Myunghwan’s house, the sun was setting. He got into the back seat of the car. Two thugs sitting in front glared back at him. Their strangely overbearing gaze tugged at his nerves. The car started and entered a sparsely populated road.
The shortcut to the store was full of puddles from last night’s heavy rain. Mist rolling from the ridge covered the road. It was a strange sky mixed with dark clouds and the setting sun. The particularly quiet thugs today were anxious. The fog and moisture made it difficult to see, so the gangster in the passenger seat wiped the glass with a rag and lowered the window. Just when they were climbing a slope that curves to the left, the thug who was driving glanced in the rearview mirror.
“What the fuck, is that asshole drunk…”
Yaba looked back. A dump truck followed, veered off the lane, then came back and forth. The gravel fell as if it was loaded with soil. It looked like it’s trying to overtake, but it’s a one-lane road, so they couldn’t get out of the way. The thug in the passenger seat said:
“Step on it.”
“Yes.”
As the car accelerated, the truck followed closely enough to see the license plate.
“Fucking bastard.”
The thug honked and then pulled over to the right shoulder to make room for the car. The dump truck clung narrowly to the side of the car. The outline of a person shimmered through the completely tinted glass. It was a narrow road for large cars to drive side by side. The truck did not move even when the median was smashed. The thug quickly turned the steering wheel to avoid it.
A chill ran down his back. There are no airbags in the back seat. Yaba checked that the seatbelt was fastened properly and gripped the passenger seat tightly. He bit his lip to relieve his anxiety. Once they got around this curve, there would be plenty of traffic.
Clang———!
At that moment, the dump truck slammed into the side of the car like it was about to fall over. The impact was bone-shattering. The thug cursed, hurriedly hit the brakes and steered his steering wheel.
“What is that bastard…?! Ugh… !”
Clang———!
The truck didn’t stop and plowed into the other side of the hill. Whether it was drunk driving or playful threatening, he must have been insane. The car, pushed by force, scraped the right guard rail.
Squeak———!
The friction of the brakes and rubber bullets pierced his ears and nose. The car couldn’t handle the giant’s force, so it derailed from the guardrail and started rolling down a low slope. Yaba put his head in his lap and strained his entire body. Parts from the car flew away, and branches and stones bounced off the shattered windows.
Ugh… ! Yaba was hung from his belt and swayed back and forth. His bones felt like they were shifting out of alignment. It felt like his intestines were being crushed. There was a fear far greater than physical pain. At one point, the car overturned and stopped. He seemed to have lost consciousness for a moment due to the tremendous impact.
He didn’t know how much time passed. The sound of someone’s pain sounded like an echo. The car was overturned and it was difficult to breathe. The only thing he could move were his eyes. The first thing he saw was a crumpled bumper and a missing windshield. The gangster in the passenger seat groaned with his head stuck in the side glass, and the gangster in the driver’s seat moaned as he got caught between the seat and the airbag. He scrambled to get out as smoke rose from the bumper.
Black smoke, flames, and a pungent odour were all signs of death. Yaba also had to get out, but he didn’t move. No voice came out. Blood rushed to his head, blurring his vision. It was a desperate struggle, like being pinned down by scissors.
Had he known it was going to be like this, he would have had the surgery. He should have cut off Kang Giha’s scorpion tail as well. Heads and fins sprouted from the pillars of fire emitted by the bumper. The flames fluttered his greedy tongue. At that moment, a huge explosion sounded enough to blow the soul away.
It was fortunate that Cha Yiseok came to mind before consciousness flickered.
***
Shwaa——!
A sudden downpour washed away the world that was like a tremor. The strong smell of rain clung to his body. The raindrops swayed, forming white grains. Even the interior of the apartment locked in the window was purified by rainwater. After taking a shower, Cha Yiseok was dressed in a bathing towel. A cigarette was bitten between his lips, but the filter was damp because it had not been lit for a long time. He looked at the wall clock. The movement of the second hand was absurdly subdued. The promised time was approaching. A tense heat gathered in his lower body. He pursed his lips morbidly.
Then, someone rang the bell. Cha Yiseok went straight to the front door. He even wanted to shorten that time, taking large strides and he opened the front door. Two men in black jumpers and baseball caps stood. They wore masks, their eyes peeking out from under the brim of their hats. They were also carrying a large sack.
“This is what you ordered. It took us a while to make it to your liking.”
Cha Yiseok carefully took the sacks into his arms. The flesh inside of him was choppy and light. The heat collided from above and below under the weight. Cha Yiseok asked in a low voice.
“Is it according to the recipe?”
“Yes. In the size you ordered, both testicles were removed, and a cut on the wrist was carved properly. Oh, but there was no identical chip, so we put the most similar model.”
Satisfied with their neat work, Cha Yiseok gave them a formal smile. He untied the sack knot. Inside, a small head of hair hung helplessly on Cha Yiseok’s chest. The cat, with soot on his cheek and forehead, his eyes closed as if dead. However, the small gaping lips let out a shallow breath. A glint like snake scales flickered in his eyes.
T/N: Hihi, this is kinda an impulsive idea but I decided to make a discord server for my projects since like… I’m bored lol >.< It's just a place to chat with other readers, share fanart, share book mtls etc. It'd also be a place for private releases if I ever get dmca warned in the future (a very real threat unfortunately) or other exclusive stuff that may come in the future. Feel free to join if you’d like!
Yaba walked through the garden in a huff. In one hand, the mask that had fallen off the string swayed back and forth. Even when he rubbed his lips with the back of his hand, his nausea did not go away. He almost wanted to cut off his tongue and lips. When he reached the front door, the door opened, revealing a pair of dark suit trousers and shoes. His heart skipped a beat. But it was Chairman Cha who stepped into view.
Even though he tried not to, he found himself looking forward to it. Now Cha Yiseok became not just one of the pieces of information nestled in the folds of his brain, but the brain itself. The pulse of the whole body, which is greatly affected by the brain, had been drained. Yaba forcibly moved his leg and passed Chairman Cha.
“It is because of Myunghwan that I am letting you walk in this house.”
When he looked back, Chairman Cha had his back to Yaba.
“Even if he has improved now, I don’t know when Myunghwan will get worse again. That’s how his hopes have been crushed every time. So, do your best until the last day. This is an order.”
“Why should I?”
Chairman Cha then turned his head. That facial feature is similar to that of Cha Myunghwan, but the cold-blooded animal-like eyes looked like those of Cha Yiseok. His chest tightened.
“I’m not coming because you and Cha Myunghwan asked me to. I’m coming because I want to. When I get tired of it all, that’s the day I’ll stop doing this. And he’s still alive. Don’t treat him like a dead person.”
“I see you’re still as fearless as ever. Lowly-born people spend their entire lives looking at other people, so they’re quick-witted, but looking at you, it doesn’t seem to be necessarily like that.”
“Right. Not everyone who was born lowly is quick-witted. It’s obvious looking at Cha Myunghwan?”
Chairman Cha trembled like the shaking of an active volcano. He was an ordinary father to Cha Myunghwan. If he had done the same to Cha Yiseok, would he have a different appearance than he does now? Would he not be addicted to drugs and living a life of debauchery, not fascinated by the smell of death? He wouldn’t have come to Paradiso and he would have never met him, would he? And he probably didn’t even know there was such suffering in the world…
“Your sons are the way they are all because of you. That brawny blood created the lesser humans and monsters that could do nothing on their own. I’m teaching you in case you don’t know until you die.”
Yaba turned his back on the old man and ran out of the garden.
***
By the time he left Cha Myunghwan’s house, the sun was setting. He got into the back seat of the car. Two thugs sitting in front glared back at him. Their strangely overbearing gaze tugged at his nerves. The car started and entered a sparsely populated road.
The shortcut to the store was full of puddles from last night’s heavy rain. Mist rolling from the ridge covered the road. It was a strange sky mixed with dark clouds and the setting sun. The particularly quiet thugs today were anxious. The fog and moisture made it difficult to see, so the gangster in the passenger seat wiped the glass with a rag and lowered the window. Just when they were climbing a slope that curves to the left, the thug who was driving glanced in the rearview mirror.
“What the fuck, is that asshole drunk…”
Yaba looked back. A dump truck followed, veered off the lane, then came back and forth. The gravel fell as if it was loaded with soil. It looked like it’s trying to overtake, but it’s a one-lane road, so they couldn’t get out of the way. The thug in the passenger seat said:
“Step on it.”
“Yes.”
As the car accelerated, the truck followed closely enough to see the license plate.
“Fucking bastard.”
The thug honked and then pulled over to the right shoulder to make room for the car. The dump truck clung narrowly to the side of the car. The outline of a person shimmered through the completely tinted glass. It was a narrow road for large cars to drive side by side. The truck did not move even when the median was smashed. The thug quickly turned the steering wheel to avoid it.
A chill ran down his back. There are no airbags in the back seat. Yaba checked that the seatbelt was fastened properly and gripped the passenger seat tightly. He bit his lip to relieve his anxiety. Once they got around this curve, there would be plenty of traffic.
Clang———!
At that moment, the dump truck slammed into the side of the car like it was about to fall over. The impact was bone-shattering. The thug cursed, hurriedly hit the brakes and steered his steering wheel.
“What is that bastard…?! Ugh… !”
Clang———!
The truck didn’t stop and plowed into the other side of the hill. Whether it was drunk driving or playful threatening, he must have been insane. The car, pushed by force, scraped the right guard rail.
Squeak———!
The friction of the brakes and rubber bullets pierced his ears and nose. The car couldn’t handle the giant’s force, so it derailed from the guardrail and started rolling down a low slope. Yaba put his head in his lap and strained his entire body. Parts from the car flew away, and branches and stones bounced off the shattered windows.
Ugh… ! Yaba was hung from his belt and swayed back and forth. His bones felt like they were shifting out of alignment. It felt like his intestines were being crushed. There was a fear far greater than physical pain. At one point, the car overturned and stopped. He seemed to have lost consciousness for a moment due to the tremendous impact.
He didn’t know how much time passed. The sound of someone’s pain sounded like an echo. The car was overturned and it was difficult to breathe. The only thing he could move were his eyes. The first thing he saw was a crumpled bumper and a missing windshield. The gangster in the passenger seat groaned with his head stuck in the side glass, and the gangster in the driver’s seat moaned as he got caught between the seat and the airbag. He scrambled to get out as smoke rose from the bumper.
Black smoke, flames, and a pungent odour were all signs of death. Yaba also had to get out, but he didn’t move. No voice came out. Blood rushed to his head, blurring his vision. It was a desperate struggle, like being pinned down by scissors.
Had he known it was going to be like this, he would have had the surgery. He should have cut off Kang Giha’s scorpion tail as well. Heads and fins sprouted from the pillars of fire emitted by the bumper. The flames fluttered his greedy tongue. At that moment, a huge explosion sounded enough to blow the soul away.
It was fortunate that Cha Yiseok came to mind before consciousness flickered.
***
Shwaa——!
A sudden downpour washed away the world that was like a tremor. The strong smell of rain clung to his body. The raindrops swayed, forming white grains. Even the interior of the apartment locked in the window was purified by rainwater. After taking a shower, Cha Yiseok was dressed in a bathing towel. A cigarette was bitten between his lips, but the filter was damp because it had not been lit for a long time. He looked at the wall clock. The movement of the second hand was absurdly subdued. The promised time was approaching. A tense heat gathered in his lower body. He pursed his lips morbidly.
Then, someone rang the bell. Cha Yiseok went straight to the front door. He even wanted to shorten that time, taking large strides and he opened the front door. Two men in black jumpers and baseball caps stood. They wore masks, their eyes peeking out from under the brim of their hats. They were also carrying a large sack.
“This is what you ordered. It took us a while to make it to your liking.”
Cha Yiseok carefully took the sacks into his arms. The flesh inside of him was choppy and light. The heat collided from above and below under the weight. Cha Yiseok asked in a low voice.
“Is it according to the recipe?”
“Yes. In the size you ordered, both testicles were removed, and a cut on the wrist was carved properly. Oh, but there was no identical chip, so we put the most similar model.”
Satisfied with their neat work, Cha Yiseok gave them a formal smile. He untied the sack knot. Inside, a small head of hair hung helplessly on Cha Yiseok’s chest. The cat, with soot on his cheek and forehead, his eyes closed as if dead. However, the small gaping lips let out a shallow breath. A glint like snake scales flickered in his eyes.
T/N: Hihi, this is kinda an impulsive idea but I decided to make a discord server for my projects since like… I’m bored lol >.< It's just a place to chat with other readers, share fanart, share book mtls etc. It'd also be a place for private releases if I ever get dmca warned in the future (a very real threat unfortunately) or other exclusive stuff that may come in the future. Feel free to join if you’d like!
