After a few more nerve-wracking moments of struggle, his tired body began to ache. Eventually, Sehwa slowly lifted himself onto the sofa. The seat was unnecessarily large and deep, and the way the armrests hung at wide angles suggested that this was no ordinary piece of furniture, but rather one of those sex equipment. Still, he managed to contort his body onto it, and from around the time the sun was rising, he was able to close his eyes for a short while.
“Babe.”
Sehwa curled up like a fetus and dozed off, but the door slammed open loudly.
“You’re still asleep?”
Sehwa was so startled that he curled up on the floor. Seeing him in that state, Ki Tae-jeong chuckled lightly. He knew it was a crazy thought, but he couldn’t take anything away from that face. As mild and well-bred as he acted, why did his personality have to be like that? Sehwa muttered to himself internally, then suddenly realized he had never seen him on the news. Why wasn’t a young man with such captivating looks and who was a Brigadier General used as a military propaganda tool?
“Oh, I haven’t released this.”
Ki Tae-jeong softly clicked his tongue while looking at Sehwa, who was crouching needlessly. Sehwa grabbed the thought branch that was trying to stretch out uselessly and reached out his arms in haste.
“Why are you leaving your butt exposed like that? Should I fuck you now?”
“…! It’s not like that! It’s just that I couldn’t shower yesterday, so if you get close, it might smell…”
He took the watch he was carrying and moved it near the handcuffs, making a clicking sound as the restraints were released.
“Is your preference like that? I prefer clean sex.”
When Sehwa looked at him in disbelief, Ki Tae-jeong narrowed his eyes, saying that he was joking.
“Go wash up and come out. You can just throw your clothes inside roughly.”
Did he mean to undress and come out? Well, he had that in mind, so he squinted his eyes, and Ki Tae-jeong nodded toward the bathroom.
“There should be a gown hanging behind the door. Put that on first.”
Sehwa understood why he behaved that way yesterday, but Ki Tae-jeong clicked his tongue, saying that he couldn’t stand to look at the same scruffy look as yesterday.
“Then, what about my clothes…”
“Oh, wait.”
He interrupted and rummaged through his jacket pocket. It was a single-packaged pill. When Sehwa saw the pill, he instinctively recoiled, causing Ki Tae-jeong to raise his eyebrows. Afraid he might get slapped again if he flinched, Sehwa cautiously approached, and Ki Tae-jeong patted his cheek as if to say he did well.
“Take this pill; it’s good for your injuries. It might not be enough compared to what you had yesterday.”
Sehwa hesitated but eventually opened his mouth. Ki Tae-jeong pushed the pill into Sehwa’s mouth as he saw him sticking out his tongue. It was better to accept this than to resist and have his hair grabbed, forcing his mouth open. Fortunately, it tasted similar to the medicine he took yesterday, which was genuinely for treatment.
“Go wash up and come out.”
He pulled the gown off the hook in frustration. Embarrassment washed over him, and he clamped his mouth shut. What must Ki Tae-jeong have been thinking when he saw him with his mouth open carefreely?
“Die, Lee Sehwa. Go die….”
It had only been one day. He had already grown accustomed to Ki Tae-jeong in less than 24 hours.
***
“What’s this?”
“Food.”
After drying off as much as possible and coming out of the bathroom, Sehwa found a dining table set up on the sofa table. There were fruits, various types of bread, cereal… It was more than enough by Sehwa’s standards, but he thought it was somewhat modest for someone of Ki Tae-jeong’s rank. Nevertheless, since there were two servings laid out, Sehwa hesitated and approached the table slowly.
“Is this from the House Dining?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, then, I can’t eat it…”
“Do they have rules against that?”
“Well, not exactly, but… everything here is a debt.”
Ki Tae-jeong chuckled as if he had heard nonsense. It was the truth, though…
“The clothes I wear here, everything I eat and drink, are all debt. If it piles up, the interest is higher than you think, and it can get bigger than you thought…”
Ki Tae-jeong’s hand, which had been about to pick an apple with a fork, paused.
“Oh, really? How much? It must be at least…”
“Considering there’s fruit, it’s probably going to be over 100,000 won. Oh, and it’s not even frozen fruit. So, it’s more expensive.”
Ki Tae-jeong glanced at the spread on the table as if displeased.
“I’ll put it on my tab; just eat.”
“But…”
“I don’t want to see you whining about being hungry when there’s so much work to be done. Eat.”
Sehwa sat down in front of the table with suspicious eyes. Strangely, having the food right in front of him sparked his appetite without any hesitation. After all, Ki Tae-jeong was in charge here. Whatever his real identity was, someone wearing the Director’s uniform probably wouldn’t bother with accounting.
In reality, Sehwa was just trying to rationalize eating as much as possible, driven by his desire to eat his fill while he had the chance. However, he didn’t want to show any sign of that desire while appearing so vulnerable. So, Sehwa reluctantly followed Ki Tae-jeong’s words, grumbling a bit, and took a seat.
“How much is the remaining debt?”
“200 million won.”
“Is that just the principal?”
“That includes everything. I only have to pay back the 200 million won until I leave the House.”
“And the money for eating, buying clothes, and such are added separately?”
“Yes, normally the expenses for using the House, the cost of the goods used, food, transportation… Those are calculated separately. It’s called a ‘maintenance fee.'”
“So, how are you going to repay the 200 million won now that you can’t work?”
Sehwa took a bite of the warm bread and glanced at Ki Tae-jeong. Sehwa couldn’t help but assess whether this was going to work or not, even though Ki Tae-jeong had said that he hated such scrutiny. But, it was an ingrained habit. He didn’t like hesitation, dragging things on, or getting stuck in a slow response. Sehwa knew that here if he didn’t take the lead and assert himself, things would continue to unfold according to Ki Tae-jeong’s wishes. For example, Sehwa had to put aside his pride and endure many things while Ki Tae-jeong stayed here, just like swallowing a bitter pill. In essence, it was a form of… asserting his own dominance. In games, the most crucial thing was who followed whom (the person leading or going first).
“Still, you’re gonna let me meet Lieutenant Kim.”
Sehwa didn’t think it could get any worse here. So he said it out loud. Ki Tae-jeong raised his eyes at the cheeky words and looked at Sehwa.
“If you need drug made by Lieutenant Kim… I think you’ll send me out there anyway. I’m supposed to meet with Lieutenant Kim about three more times, and so…”
“Do you think you can earn 200 million won in 3 times?”
“Yes.”
“It doesn’t seem like you can carry 200 million won worth of anything… Anyway, you’ll use the remaining money to live and eat, and what do you plan to do once you leave the House?”
Fortunately, his question seemed ordinary. There was no hint of mockery, like “What can you do in your position?” Sehwa decided to be a bit more courageous.
“Just… I wanted to study and live a normal life.
“Is that all?”
“Growing up in a place like this since I was a child… I was just curious about the lives of ordinary people.”
The fact that he decided to get a 1-star resident card from Lieutenant Kim in return… Should he tell Ki Tae-jeong about it? The atmosphere felt like he could be a bit more honest. After a brief moment of hesitation, Sehwa decided not to reveal that part.
Like Ki Tae-jeong’s proposal yesterday, Lieutenant Kim had offered more money and even a house. However, Sehwa had chosen a nominal fee and a resident card. Becoming a 1-star resident was more important to him than the money.
And a little while ago, Ki Tae-jeong found out that Sehwa had received less payment than he thought. If Sehwa revealed that he had also secured a resident card from Lieutenant Kim… Ki Tae-jeong would instantly figure out what Sehwa’s true desire was.
The Brigadier General had the power to promote him to a 5-star resident or push him down to a 1-Hwan resident, lower than a 2-Hwan Sehwa didn’t want to be manipulated by someone in this matter. Whether he was hung up like a slaughtered animal, ridiculed as if he were being carved open, or torn apart didn’t matter. But this…
Even when he was at death’s door in Ki Tae-jeong’s hands yesterday, he didn’t reveal this desire. He had lived cowardly and pitifully, but he had clung to this fragile hope all along. Even though his dreams were battered and bruised, wasn’t it okay to keep holding onto them?
“Uh… Director?”
Ki Tae-jeong’s jaw, which had been mechanically repeating his chewing exercises as if he considered the meal as just an energy supply, stopped abruptly.
“… Director?”
“After all, you came here as a Director.”
Sehwa chose his words carefully. It felt a bit odd to call someone in his position ‘Brigadier General’ when he was someone who had infiltrated the House with a purpose. Moreover, Sehwa wasn’t even a soldier. It was scary to think about what might happen if he casually called him ‘Brigadier General’ and got slapped or worse.
“Director…”
Ki Tae-jeong tapped the strange-looking armrest absentmindedly, lost in thought. Then he burst into an amused chuckle. Sehwa decided to pretend not to notice his muttering.
“Alright, fine. Why did you call the ‘Director’?”
Sehwa unwittingly recalled the incident when he had to take the pill from Ki Tae-jeong’s hand. If he got slapped now, what would happen? He steeled himself.
“The House residents have a bet going on… Whoever gets 3 points first wins.”
He timidly proposed a bet. Ki Tae-jeong had responded with amusement at his cheeky words saying he would let him meet Lieutenant Kim. He hadn’t hit him, kicked him, or even knocked over the dining table. He had actually responded somewhat positively when Sehwa had meekly answered his questions about the debt and the meal. Maybe he would find this proposal interesting too.
Then he wondered if it would be okay to climb this much. The best course of action would be for Ki Tae-jeong to see him as an equal bargaining partner, but Sehwa didn’t even want that. He just wanted Ki Tae-jeong to find him intriguing. He wanted Ki Tae-jeong to see him as someone who could handle a task rather than just someone to be beaten or used for sex.
“Just… a simple bet. The loser pays for that month’s meals. We often make these bets with settlements and such.”
“And?”
Sehwa discreetly placed his hand under the table, hoping Ki Tae-jeong wouldn’t notice how nervous he was when he was the crushed piece of bread.
“Would you like to… make a bet with me? The one who gets 3 points first fulfills a wish for the other.”
After a few more nerve-wracking moments of struggle, his tired body began to ache. Eventually, Sehwa slowly lifted himself onto the sofa. The seat was unnecessarily large and deep, and the way the armrests hung at wide angles suggested that this was no ordinary piece of furniture, but rather one of those sex equipment. Still, he managed to contort his body onto it, and from around the time the sun was rising, he was able to close his eyes for a short while.
“Babe.”
Sehwa curled up like a fetus and dozed off, but the door slammed open loudly.
“You’re still asleep?”
Sehwa was so startled that he curled up on the floor. Seeing him in that state, Ki Tae-jeong chuckled lightly. He knew it was a crazy thought, but he couldn’t take anything away from that face. As mild and well-bred as he acted, why did his personality have to be like that? Sehwa muttered to himself internally, then suddenly realized he had never seen him on the news. Why wasn’t a young man with such captivating looks and who was a Brigadier General used as a military propaganda tool?
“Oh, I haven’t released this.”
Ki Tae-jeong softly clicked his tongue while looking at Sehwa, who was crouching needlessly. Sehwa grabbed the thought branch that was trying to stretch out uselessly and reached out his arms in haste.
“Why are you leaving your butt exposed like that? Should I fuck you now?”
“…! It’s not like that! It’s just that I couldn’t shower yesterday, so if you get close, it might smell…”
He took the watch he was carrying and moved it near the handcuffs, making a clicking sound as the restraints were released.
“Is your preference like that? I prefer clean sex.”
When Sehwa looked at him in disbelief, Ki Tae-jeong narrowed his eyes, saying that he was joking.
“Go wash up and come out. You can just throw your clothes inside roughly.”
Did he mean to undress and come out? Well, he had that in mind, so he squinted his eyes, and Ki Tae-jeong nodded toward the bathroom.
“There should be a gown hanging behind the door. Put that on first.”
Sehwa understood why he behaved that way yesterday, but Ki Tae-jeong clicked his tongue, saying that he couldn’t stand to look at the same scruffy look as yesterday.
“Then, what about my clothes…”
“Oh, wait.”
He interrupted and rummaged through his jacket pocket. It was a single-packaged pill. When Sehwa saw the pill, he instinctively recoiled, causing Ki Tae-jeong to raise his eyebrows. Afraid he might get slapped again if he flinched, Sehwa cautiously approached, and Ki Tae-jeong patted his cheek as if to say he did well.
“Take this pill; it’s good for your injuries. It might not be enough compared to what you had yesterday.”
Sehwa hesitated but eventually opened his mouth. Ki Tae-jeong pushed the pill into Sehwa’s mouth as he saw him sticking out his tongue. It was better to accept this than to resist and have his hair grabbed, forcing his mouth open. Fortunately, it tasted similar to the medicine he took yesterday, which was genuinely for treatment.
“Go wash up and come out.”
He pulled the gown off the hook in frustration. Embarrassment washed over him, and he clamped his mouth shut. What must Ki Tae-jeong have been thinking when he saw him with his mouth open carefreely?
“Die, Lee Sehwa. Go die….”
It had only been one day. He had already grown accustomed to Ki Tae-jeong in less than 24 hours.
***
“What’s this?”
“Food.”
After drying off as much as possible and coming out of the bathroom, Sehwa found a dining table set up on the sofa table. There were fruits, various types of bread, cereal… It was more than enough by Sehwa’s standards, but he thought it was somewhat modest for someone of Ki Tae-jeong’s rank. Nevertheless, since there were two servings laid out, Sehwa hesitated and approached the table slowly.
“Is this from the House Dining?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, then, I can’t eat it…”
“Do they have rules against that?”
“Well, not exactly, but… everything here is a debt.”
Ki Tae-jeong chuckled as if he had heard nonsense. It was the truth, though…
“The clothes I wear here, everything I eat and drink, are all debt. If it piles up, the interest is higher than you think, and it can get bigger than you thought…”
Ki Tae-jeong’s hand, which had been about to pick an apple with a fork, paused.
“Oh, really? How much? It must be at least…”
“Considering there’s fruit, it’s probably going to be over 100,000 won. Oh, and it’s not even frozen fruit. So, it’s more expensive.”
Ki Tae-jeong glanced at the spread on the table as if displeased.
“I’ll put it on my tab; just eat.”
“But…”
“I don’t want to see you whining about being hungry when there’s so much work to be done. Eat.”
Sehwa sat down in front of the table with suspicious eyes. Strangely, having the food right in front of him sparked his appetite without any hesitation. After all, Ki Tae-jeong was in charge here. Whatever his real identity was, someone wearing the Director’s uniform probably wouldn’t bother with accounting.
In reality, Sehwa was just trying to rationalize eating as much as possible, driven by his desire to eat his fill while he had the chance. However, he didn’t want to show any sign of that desire while appearing so vulnerable. So, Sehwa reluctantly followed Ki Tae-jeong’s words, grumbling a bit, and took a seat.
“How much is the remaining debt?”
“200 million won.”
“Is that just the principal?”
“That includes everything. I only have to pay back the 200 million won until I leave the House.”
“And the money for eating, buying clothes, and such are added separately?”
“Yes, normally the expenses for using the House, the cost of the goods used, food, transportation… Those are calculated separately. It’s called a ‘maintenance fee.'”
“So, how are you going to repay the 200 million won now that you can’t work?”
Sehwa took a bite of the warm bread and glanced at Ki Tae-jeong. Sehwa couldn’t help but assess whether this was going to work or not, even though Ki Tae-jeong had said that he hated such scrutiny. But, it was an ingrained habit. He didn’t like hesitation, dragging things on, or getting stuck in a slow response. Sehwa knew that here if he didn’t take the lead and assert himself, things would continue to unfold according to Ki Tae-jeong’s wishes. For example, Sehwa had to put aside his pride and endure many things while Ki Tae-jeong stayed here, just like swallowing a bitter pill. In essence, it was a form of… asserting his own dominance. In games, the most crucial thing was who followed whom (the person leading or going first).
“Still, you’re gonna let me meet Lieutenant Kim.”
Sehwa didn’t think it could get any worse here. So he said it out loud. Ki Tae-jeong raised his eyes at the cheeky words and looked at Sehwa.
“If you need drug made by Lieutenant Kim… I think you’ll send me out there anyway. I’m supposed to meet with Lieutenant Kim about three more times, and so…”
“Do you think you can earn 200 million won in 3 times?”
“Yes.”
“It doesn’t seem like you can carry 200 million won worth of anything… Anyway, you’ll use the remaining money to live and eat, and what do you plan to do once you leave the House?”
Fortunately, his question seemed ordinary. There was no hint of mockery, like “What can you do in your position?” Sehwa decided to be a bit more courageous.
“Just… I wanted to study and live a normal life.
“Is that all?”
“Growing up in a place like this since I was a child… I was just curious about the lives of ordinary people.”
The fact that he decided to get a 1-star resident card from Lieutenant Kim in return… Should he tell Ki Tae-jeong about it? The atmosphere felt like he could be a bit more honest. After a brief moment of hesitation, Sehwa decided not to reveal that part.
Like Ki Tae-jeong’s proposal yesterday, Lieutenant Kim had offered more money and even a house. However, Sehwa had chosen a nominal fee and a resident card. Becoming a 1-star resident was more important to him than the money.
And a little while ago, Ki Tae-jeong found out that Sehwa had received less payment than he thought. If Sehwa revealed that he had also secured a resident card from Lieutenant Kim… Ki Tae-jeong would instantly figure out what Sehwa’s true desire was.
The Brigadier General had the power to promote him to a 5-star resident or push him down to a 1-Hwan resident, lower than a 2-Hwan Sehwa didn’t want to be manipulated by someone in this matter. Whether he was hung up like a slaughtered animal, ridiculed as if he were being carved open, or torn apart didn’t matter. But this…
Even when he was at death’s door in Ki Tae-jeong’s hands yesterday, he didn’t reveal this desire. He had lived cowardly and pitifully, but he had clung to this fragile hope all along. Even though his dreams were battered and bruised, wasn’t it okay to keep holding onto them?
“Uh… Director?”
Ki Tae-jeong’s jaw, which had been mechanically repeating his chewing exercises as if he considered the meal as just an energy supply, stopped abruptly.
“… Director?”
“After all, you came here as a Director.”
Sehwa chose his words carefully. It felt a bit odd to call someone in his position ‘Brigadier General’ when he was someone who had infiltrated the House with a purpose. Moreover, Sehwa wasn’t even a soldier. It was scary to think about what might happen if he casually called him ‘Brigadier General’ and got slapped or worse.
“Director…”
Ki Tae-jeong tapped the strange-looking armrest absentmindedly, lost in thought. Then he burst into an amused chuckle. Sehwa decided to pretend not to notice his muttering.
“Alright, fine. Why did you call the ‘Director’?”
Sehwa unwittingly recalled the incident when he had to take the pill from Ki Tae-jeong’s hand. If he got slapped now, what would happen? He steeled himself.
“The House residents have a bet going on… Whoever gets 3 points first wins.”
He timidly proposed a bet. Ki Tae-jeong had responded with amusement at his cheeky words saying he would let him meet Lieutenant Kim. He hadn’t hit him, kicked him, or even knocked over the dining table. He had actually responded somewhat positively when Sehwa had meekly answered his questions about the debt and the meal. Maybe he would find this proposal interesting too.
Then he wondered if it would be okay to climb this much. The best course of action would be for Ki Tae-jeong to see him as an equal bargaining partner, but Sehwa didn’t even want that. He just wanted Ki Tae-jeong to find him intriguing. He wanted Ki Tae-jeong to see him as someone who could handle a task rather than just someone to be beaten or used for sex.
“Just… a simple bet. The loser pays for that month’s meals. We often make these bets with settlements and such.”
“And?”
Sehwa discreetly placed his hand under the table, hoping Ki Tae-jeong wouldn’t notice how nervous he was when he was the crushed piece of bread.
“Would you like to… make a bet with me? The one who gets 3 points first fulfills a wish for the other.”
